She Walks In Beauty
by miyaka
Summary: A twist of fate brings Rei, the last senshi standing, to her missing queen & the pilots. Will she mix business with pleasure? NEW: Heero is determined to win Rei over & Trowa is torn btw putting Rei's needs first and his own strong emotions for her.
1. Prologue

"She Walks in Beauty"

She walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that's best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes:

Thus mellow'd to that tender light

Which Heaven to gaudy days denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

Half had impair'd the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress,

Or softly lightens o'er her face;

Where thoughts serenely sweet express

How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, the tints that glow

But tell of days in goodness spent,

A mind at peace with all below,

A heart whose love is innocent!

-Lord Byron

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon/Gundam Wing, nor did I write the poem above.

A/N: Although this story does include Usagi, it is primarily about Rei, and it is definitely not a Usagi/Heero story. The way I see it, there are so many other writers who have that covered, so this one will be about Rei.

The rain was pounding rhythmetically against the Winner Mansion, adding to the already intolerable humidity. The forecaster had predicted clear skies throughout the week, but it was obviously not to be. Dark, ominous storm clouds had invaded the clear blue skies several hours ago, and then floodgates had opened and the storm had not yet let up. Just outside the Winner residence, a cloaked figure stood amidst the pouring rain, simply staring at the magnificent structure. 

She stood a few feet from the massive metal gates, warily eyeing the inferior piece of metal that towered before her. She needed to get past the blasted gate, and under normal circumstances, it would have been a walk in the park. The figure bit her lip as she considered what she could do with her dwindling strength. She knew the only thing keeping her standing was the connection she had with her queen, and because that too was quickly fading, she knew she had to act fast. She considered transforming and melting the metal with a simple attack, but the transformation itself would take too much out of her. She sighed and decided the only thing she could do was clear the gate.

The girl backed up several steps before muttering a small prayer in hopes she could jump over the gate that now seemed impossibly high. She took a running start before launching herself into the air, barely managing to clear the spikey heads at the top of the gate. Her sense of victory as short lived. She landed in a low crouch, but her legs gave way beneath her, not having enough strength to support her weight. With a small cry she collapsed to the ground, the last of her strength gone. She was so close. If only she could get up. She struggled to get back up, but it felt like the weight of the entire world was on her shoulders, smothering her to the asphalt. Her head dropped to the ground, and just before she lost consciousness, a name managed to grace her lips.

"Usagi."

I'm not that familiar with GW, so if I screw up on the timelines, names, or etc, please let me know. This is my first fanfic, so suggestions and comments are more than welcome. Please let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing.

* . . .* = thoughts

A/N: Thanks to those who read and reviewed! Although I have a general idea of the pairings, nothing is finalized yet. For those of you who want Heero/Rei, that is definitely one of the possibilities I have been considering.

Quatre was in his commodious study signing off on some papers when one of his many Maganacs burst in, thus successfully distracting him from his work. He glanced curiously at the out of breath man, wondering what could be so important for him to burst in like this.

"Master Quatre! Rashid is back, and he's not alone! He has a pretty lady with him, and he requests your presence immediately, sir. All the other pilots are already there."

The blonde Arabian grinned cheekily before following the Maganac out of the study. So Rashid had finally found himself a woman. The head Maganac had arrived a day earlier than expected, and the young blonde couldn't wait to see who had finally captured his friend's heart. The sight that greeted him in the living room was far from what he expected. Rashid was standing in the middle of the room, holding an unconscious woman in his arms. The two were drenched from the rain and soaking his Persian rug. That was, however, the last thing on his mind. His eyes were glued to the girl, completely entranced by her beauty. And judging from everyone else's expressions, he wasn't the only one.

The girl's hood had fallen back, revealing a beautiful face and exotic features. Her long raven hair cascaded downwards like a waterfall, making a pool of ebony on the carpet. Her sable eyebrows were arched delicately, and her long sooty eyelashes covered her eyes, making him wonder what magnificent color they would be. Even with her deathly pale skin, she was absolutely breathtaking.

"I found her just inside the gates, Master Quatre. I don't know how long she's been there, but when I found her she was already unconscious." Rashid informed his young master, snapping the blonde out of his reverie.

"Put her down on the couch. Someone call the doctor, and Rashid, go change into something dry before you catch a cold." Rashid did as he was told, and as the towering Maganac left the room, Quatre hurried to the girl's side.

"Man, what's up with this place?" Duo asked, his eyes never leaving the girl. "Since when did you get this popular with the ladies, Q?"

"Injustice," he muttered. "Another weak onna." Wufei stood in the corner of the room with his arms crossed, glaring hostily at the raven haired beauty.

"She's burning up with a fever," Quatre murmured as he checked her temperature, ignoring the Chinese pilot's comment. He took off her cloak, and much to her surprise, found that her clothes underneath were completely dry. "Amazing."

"What?" Duo wanted to know as he and the other pilots crowded around her.

Quatre glanced up at them before gazing back down at the girl. "Her clothes are completely dry. They're not even damp."

"How is that possible?" Heero asked suspiciously. "It's a monsoon out there."

"Whoa, this is getting a little too cooky even for me." Duo shook his head and sighed.

"I don't understand, either. It's as if her cloak soaked up all the water. I've never seen anything like this." Quatre shrugged, just as puzzled as everyone else.

A small whimper from the girl brought their attention back to her, and for a moment, the issue about her clothes was forgotten. The Maganac from earlier returned, a slight frown on his face. The pilots turned to him expectantly, and he shook his head negatively.

"The doctor refuses to come out in this storm. He says if the storm lets up, he'll be here first thing in the morning." That earned him a rare scowl from the young Arabian. 

"Unbelievable." Quatre muttered and redirected his gaze to the sleeping form.

"Maybe we should take her upstairs?" Trowa suggested, breaking the silence.

This time it was Wufei who scowled. "What?! Two weak onnas in this house?! Impossible! She could be an Oz agent for all we know. They could both be Oz agents, and now they're going to reside in this house?!"

The Shinigami glared at the Chinese pilot. "We can't just toss her out, Wu-man." He grinned wolfishly before adding, "Besides, she's a total babe."

"For the last time, Maxwell, don't call me WU-MAN!"

The others sighed as the two pilots got into one of their infamous arguments, which as usual, proceeded with Wufei chasing Duo out of the room. Quatre shook his head and hoping they didn't break anything, turned to the Maganac.

"Would you please prepare a room for the lady?" The Maganac nodded and turned to leave, but Heero stopped him before he could exit the room. 

"Wait. Put her room next to mine."

The two remaining pilots jerked their heads in his direction, surprise written across their features. Heero smirked when he saw their reactions and shrugged. "What? Someone has to keep an eye on her, and none of you guys stay up past midnight."

The Maganac glanced questionably at Quatre, who nodded his approval, and he scurried off to do as his master requested. As the pilots watched him leave, the same thought crossed their minds. Did she have any connection to the girl they found nearly a month ago?

__

It was late in the night when the five pilots were on their way back from one of Relena's celebrations when the sound of screeching tires filled the air. They were jolted forward as Rashid slammed on the brakes. The five boys immediately jumped out of the car, hoping it was not another Oz attack. Instead, they found a petite, crumpled form on the ground. The disappearing taillights of the car told them it had been a hit and run. They approached the girl, and Quatre immediately felt for a pulse. It was faint, but at least she was alive.

"We've got to get her to a hospital." He picked her up and brought her back to the limo, and Rashid sped off to the closest hospital.

The doctor entered the waiting room, a grim expression on his face. That was never a good sign. He went and spoke a few words to Rashid, who nodded his head in understanding, before turning to address the pilots.

"Are any of you family members?" When they all shook their heads, the doctor let out a small sigh of regret. "In that case, I'm afraid we won't be able to keep her for more than a night. She has no identification on her and who knows if she even has a family."

The pilots stared at him in disbelief. "So you're just going to discharge her?"

"Like I said, she can stay the night, but that's it. In the morning she's going to have to go. Besides, I doubt she'd even make the night. She should have been killed on impact. It's a miracle she's still alive." The doctor informed them remorsely.

"Is it a financial issue?" Quatre wondered, not quite comprehending why the girl couldn't stay. "Because if it is, I can cover everything she needs: surgery, whatever."

"No, it's not just that," the doctor told him, shaking his head. "But seeing that she probably won't even make it through the night, we can clear the bed out for someone else who actually has a fighting chance. I'm sorry."

"Earth to Quatre!" Duo waved his hand across the blonde's face, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"What is it, Duo?" The blonde asked somewhat irritably.

"I said, Trowa took her upstairs and said he'll look after her. Besides, you look like you could use some rest." The Shinigami told him.

"You two didn't break anything, did you?" Duo suddenly found the opposing wall a lot more interesting, and all Quatre could do was shake his head and sigh.

When was the last time he had carried a girl in his arms? Trowa glanced down at the sleeping form of the raven haired beauty, silently admiring the way that even in sickness, she looked like an angel sent from heaven. He didn't need Quatre's emphatic senses to tell him there was something special about this girl, something he had never quite encountered. There was an innocence about her that went untainted, and he had a feeling that she had a spirit no one could break. But just who was she, and why was she here? He didn't want to believe what Wufei had brought up. He didn't want to believe she could be an Oz agent. But the last time he had let his emotions get the better part of his reasoning, his family had been killed. And it was all because of him. 

Looking down at the girl, he knew he couldn't let that happen again. There was no way he would further taint his hands at the expense of his friends. They were his family now, and there was no way in hell he was going to let carelessness take the lives of the ones he cared about again. But as he made his way up to her room, he had a feeling that the oath he had taken so many years ago had flown out the window when he had laid his eyes on her. 

Sunlight poured through the room, welcoming the girl to a bright new day. The storm had long since been over and clear blue skies and pure white clouds had returned to greet the girl from her much needed slumber.

Rei bit back a yawn, snuggling deeper into the soft mattress, something she had not felt for months. For a split second, she believed she was back in the Crystal Palace with another peaceful day ahead of her. Her eyes darkened as sleep began to clear from her mind, and the reality of the previous events hit her full force. Usagi. She had to find her queen before they came to finish the job.

The fire senshi threw the covers back and without a second thought, bolted out of her room. She ignored the sudden flash of pain that shot up from her side and instead concentrated on the bond she had with her queen. The connection was still there, and that temporarily alleviated her worries. She was still alive, and that was all that mattered. *All that mattered.* Using her psychic abilities, she traced the connection to a room not all that far from hers. Rushing into the room, she stopped short at the sight that greeted her.

Her queen was lying in bed, looking as angelic and innocent as ever. Her long, treasured tresses made a pool of gold framing her delicate face. Her skin was without any blemishes, and her breathing appeared to be regular. But something was wrong. Her normally bright eyes were glazed over, staring at what Rei assumed was the ceiling.

"Usagi, it's me, Rei!" She approached one of her dearest friends, ready to tackle her in a hug. But there was no response. "Usagi, I'm finally here. How about a big hi?"

The blonde didn't even acknowledge her, so Rei gently shook her. The senshi frowned, finally realizing that her friend couldn't even hear her. Her eyes held a vacant look to them, one that Rei couldn't understand. *What's wrong with Usagi?*

"Usagi, what's wrong? Talk to me!" The desperation in her voice was unmistakable. "Usagi, it's me! Rei! Wake up! Please! Yell at me for bugging you! Anything!"

As much as she pleaded and begged, her queen still refused to acknowledge her. Tears threatened to fall as Rei continued to shake the blonde, acting like a child unable to understand what was wrong with her mother. She could feel her barriers cracking, barriers she had been forced to build after her friends' deaths.

"She's been like that since she's got here." A deep, male voice said from behind her. Rei whirled around and found herself staring into a sea of Prussian blue. *How the hell did he get there without me knowing?!* She blinked rapidly, desperately trying to make the tears disappear. No one ever saw her cry, and it was no different now.

"Who are you?" Rei demanded, hoping he didn't notice her dismal state. "And what do you mean she's been like this ever since she got here?!"

"Your friend has been in a catatonic state ever since we took her in about a month ago."

==============

I felt like that was a good place to stop for the first chapter. I know there was an awful lot of Quatre in the beginning, and I promise the other pilots will all have equal shares in the spotlight. The next chapters will also be considerably longer. I'm still trying to get the hang of all this, so I apologize in advance to those who might have been disappointed. Let me know what you think! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing.

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed. You guys are the ones who inspire me to keep writing. Your comments/suggestions are highly valued, so keep them coming! Now about the pairings . . . I believe I definitely want to have some Rei/Heero romance, but as of right now, I'm not sure if that will be the final pairing. I'm leaning towards something different, like Rei/Trowa. Let me know what you think! 

As for Relena, I doubt she'll be playing a major role in here, and I have no intentions of making her a witch. There are enough fics out there that do that, so I'll leave that subject alone.

And no, Usagi's not dead, or at least not yet. At least I don't plan on having her dying, unless if it somehow fits in the plotline, which I am still trying to figure out. I actually got that eyes wide open idea from something I saw on tv. So for now, Usagi lives on. 

Heero watched as she turned several shades paler, and her eyes began to water again, making him wonder why he felt so uncomfortable seeing her upset. His eyes ruthlessly pierced hers, as if trying to expose all of her secrets. Her luscious, strawberry colored lips were quivering with the effort from keeping her tears from falling.

"C-Catatonic state?" She stammered, grasping the bedpost to steady herself. 

"She was involved in a hit and run accident. The doctors said she wouldn't survive the night, and even if she did, they were obligated to release her due to the large number of casualties from a terrorist attack. Long story cut short, Quatre took her in, and she's been like this ever since."

As she digested the information, her breathing became labored, and her knuckles turned white from clutching the bedpost so hard.

"Quatre?" She questioned, desperately trying to comprehend the situation.

"He owns the house."

Without another word, she whirled around to face the blonde, turning away from him. Heero stood there for a moment watching her trembling form, not wanting to leave her alone yet not wanting to intrude. He shifted his weight uncomfortably before finally deciding to give the two some privacy. Just as silently as he came in, he walked out of the room and gently shut the door behind him.

"Oh Usa! How could this have happened? I don't understand. The Crystal should be more than enough to maintain your life energy, not reduce you to this state. Yet here you are, just like Sleeping Beauty." Rei murmured softly, gazing adoringly at her queen. "Do you know how hard it was to find you? Even with Setsuna's gift." Her face darkened slightly as memories began to plague her.

"I'm not sure I should call it a gift, more like a dying wish. Yes, Setsuna's dead. She was the last to go, aside from Hotaru, that is. Do you hear me, Usa? THEY'RE DEAD! DEAD!" The fire senshi took several deep breaths trying to calm herself down, before whispering, "You can't do this to me, Usa. You can't. You have to wake up before They find us, before They come to finish what They started. And God knows if I'll be strong enough to protect you."

"She's up." The four pilots turned to see Heero enter the room. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink, and Duo suspected it had something to do with their latest guest. He decided to keep quiet for now and instead, arched an eyebrow questioningly. 

"And how would you know, hmm?" Duo asked teasingly, earning him a glare from the Perfect Soldier.

"Good, so now does that mean she can take her friend and go?" Wufei asked callously. 

"WUFEI!" The other four turned around and glared at him, once again shocked at how their friend could be so cruel at times. The Chinese pilot shrugged, still believing Rei worked for their nemesis.

"What?! She'd just go running back to report to Oz what she's seen here. I don't know about you guys, but it makes me just a tad bit nervous if Oz had a blue print of this house." Wufei muttered sarcastically.

"We don't know if she is an Oz agent," Quatre pointed out, trying to reason with his stubborn friend.

Wufei continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "Besides, that other damn onna is going to die anyway. Like the doctor said, it's only a matter of time. What was it he had said? She's deteriorating?" 

The Chinese pilot was about to continue to rant on about the situation when he suddenly realized that his friends were no longer glaring at him, but instead, they were staring at something, or rather, someone behind him. He turned around to find the raven haired beauty standing before him, looking furious enough to kill him. If glares could kill, he would have long since been six feet under. But seeing that they couldn't, he nonchalantly crossed his arms and glared back.

"Wufei, apologize." Trowa commanded, knowing full well that she had heard his friend's chauvinist remarks. But even he had to admit, she was a sight to behold when she was mad. Her eyes were a brilliant amethyst that seemed to ignite with an inner fire, one that he doubted would ever be extinguished.

"To an onna?! Are you out of your mind?!"

It had been a long time since Rei was this mad. How dare he insult her queen like she was some kind of worthless object waiting to be thrown away?! She had an overwhelming urge to give him a good ass kicking, but these men did save Usagi's life, and never in her life would she be able to repay them. She supposed sparing the insolent man was a start. She took a deep, shuddering breath and slowly let it out, ignoring the man's last comments.

"My name is Rei Hino, and I want to thank you for helping my friend." Judging from their surprised reactions, except for the brunette from earlier, they obviously had not made the connection.

The blonde was the first to recover from the initial shock. "You mean, you know her?"

Wufei held a smug look on his face. The two onnas knew each other, which only served to further prove his point. They were Oz agents sent to infiltrate them. But before he could question her, she continued.

"She's my best friend, Usagi Tsukino. I can't thank you enough for helping her." For the first time, Rei switched her gaze from the brunette to the blonde boy. She immediately regretted doing so and let out a small gasp as her face blanched.

"What's wrong?" he asked, instantly alarmed, and secretly hoping she wouldn't faint. She held up a shaky hand to stop his advance.

__

Blonde hair, blue eyes.

"I'm alright, thank you. It's just that you reminded me of someone I used to know. You are?"

"Quatre Raberba Winner. And they are my friends Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Chang Wufei, and Heero Yuy."

*So he's Quatre, the man I am indebted to. The man who reminds me so much of the one love who ripped my heart to shreds.* Quatre seemed to notice her moodiness and asked,

"Miss Rei, are you feeling alright?"

She smiled, touched at the concern held in his eyes. "Please, just call me Rei. And I should be fine. I'm just a bit overwhelmed, that's all." She paused for a moment, as if in a silent debate, before continuing. "I would hate to impose, but right now I don't have a place to stay and no means of supporting myself."

"How convenient," Wufei muttered under his breath. Thankfully no one heard him.

"You don't even have to ask," Quatre told her with a smile. "You and Usagi are more than welcome to stay here as long as you'd like. We have plenty of rooms to go around."

Wufei snorted, earning him reproving looks from his friends. That was apparently the last straw for Rei snapped,

"Hey, what's your problem?!"

"You." He met and matched her glare.

*I tried. Time to give him an ass-kicking.* "You want to take this outside?"

"I don't fight weak onnas." He smirked, thoroughly enjoying watching the range of expressions cross her face as she tried to calm herself down by in-taking huge gulps of air. He could get used to this.

"Excuse us." Trowa clamped his hand over Wufei's mouth and dragged him out of the room, all the while shooting her an apologetic look. Rei stifled a giggle at the Asian's comical expression as Trowa continued to haul the struggling man out. The others gaped at the tall brunette's retreating back; none of them were used to seeing him take such aggressive actions, especially since he was always the one with the most tolerance to Wufei's opinions. 

"Wow. A whole new side of Trowa revealed," Duo muttered. When they were out of the room, he turned back to Rei and flirtatiously asked with a wink, "So are your friends as hot as you are?" 

"DUO!"

The sun was dwindling in the west when Rei entered Usagi's room and took a seat by her queen's side, staring into her vacant eyes. The fire senshi had found it a bit unnerving at first, but she had grown used to it. Afterall, even when Usagi had been encased in the Crystal when the Black Moon Family had attacked, her eyes had been closed. It took some getting used to, but now that she was past it, the senshi gently took her icy hands in her own.

"Usa," she whispered, tears brimming her eyes as the severity of the situation hit her full force again. She quickly took a moment to recover, rapidly blinking the tears away. "I'm trying to be strong, but you're making it so hard for me. I have so much to tell you, so much I need to tell you. You're the only one here I can talk to, the only one that will understand. But I'm afraid to tell you, afraid you'll loose your will to live. And I won't have that." She paused and stared out at the sunset, trying to find something to talk about that wouldn't tempt her to cry.

"You really do need to wake up. The food here is great. You should see some of the stuff they serve, but they still can't compete with Mako's food. But the cooks here so would give her a run for her money." Rei's eyes began to water again as she thought about her tall Jovian friend. Apparently there wasn't a topic she could touch that didn't remind her of her friends. "I'm sorry, Usa, I just can't. Forgive me." 

Rei bit back a sob and bolted from the room, not even bothering to close the door behind her. She blindly tore down the hallway, not even noticing the man she ran into. Strong arms reached out to steady her, but she jerked away from them as well. She needed to be alone; she needed to collect herself. There was no way she could let her barriers break now. She had to be strong. She could grieve all she wanted later when her mission was complete, but as of right now, Usagi's life was on the line. And there was no way in hell she would loose another friend.

"Rei?" 

Trowa's concern grew when she jerked away from him. Rei had just plowed into him, and if it hadn't been for those years in the circus, he would have been flat on his butt right now. Instead he had tried to help her, but she regained her balance and ran off again. He thought he had caught a glimpse of tears streaking down her eyes, but it all happened so fast he couldn't be sure. He hated to see her in pain; it tore at his heart. 

Without a second thought, he ran off after her, fully intending on what was going on. Why was she so upset? He chased after her, his long stride quickly closing the distance. But damn could she run. He was within a few feet when she ducked into her room and slammed the door shut behind her. Just as he reached the door, he heard the lock spring tight. He silently cursed his misfortune, and instead, settled for talking to her through the door. 

"Rei? It's me, Trowa! What's wrong?" Silence. She wasn't answering. "Rei, please. I can help you." He decided to try another tactic. "I'm not moving until you open the door and tell me what's wrong. How else am I supposed to help you?"

"I don't want your help, and I certainly don't need it." Her reply was muffled, as if she had buried her face in something, most likely a pillow.

He let out a sigh. She was another stubborn one. Wufei's stubbornness was more than enough to go around, and now there was her's he had to deal with. He leaned against the wall to wait, and that's when he realized he wouldn't have her any other way.

After shedding a few tears, Rei finally managed to regain control of her composure. She walked to the mirror and examined her appearance with a slight frown. Her eyes were slightly pink, but otherwise she looked okay. It had been a while since she last heard Trowa threatening her, and since it was absolutely quiet outside, Rei deemed it safe to go get a cup of tea to help soothe her nerves.

But as soon as she left the safe confines of her room, too late did she realize her mistake. It may have been quiet outside, but it didn't mean Trowa had left. He was leaning against the wall next to her door, and before she could rush back in, he grabbed the doorknob, only to find her hand there. He felt the sudden flash of fire that ignited at the touch, all the while trying to convince himself it was nothing.

"Rei, it helps to talk about it. Believe me, I know." He said the latter so earnestly Rei couldn't help but look up. She found herself entranced by the brilliancy of his emerald eye and couldn't help but wonder how he would look with both eyes visible. She quickly snapped back into reality, not wanting to be caught staring like a smitten school girl and flashed a small smile to reassure him.

"Thanks, Trowa, I'll keep that in mind. But honestly, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine. Could you let go of me now?" She asked a bit uncomfortably.

Trowa colored slightly and immediately released her hand. He had completely forgotten it was there in the first place, and he certainly hoped she didn't notice his sudden change in demeanor. He cleared his throat as he tried to regain his composure.

"Just remember what I said, okay? I'm here for you, whenever wherever." He managed a small smile for her before awkwardly walking off, silently berating himself for turning to mush around her. *Why is it that my insides always turn to jelly when I'm around her?*

Rei stared at his retreating back with a small smile twisting at the corner of her lips. He had waited for her, even after she had told him to go away. She didn't know why such a small gesture like that touched her, but it did. She stared at him for a while longer before returning to her room, completely forgetting about the tea she was going to get.

Heero watched the encounter between the two through narrowed eyes. Was she interested in Trowa? He didn't know why it bothered him so much, except maybe he was looking out for his friend's best interests. There was still a possibility that she was an Oz agent. He had been running her name through every available database and so far, he had come up with a blank. Rei Hino and Usagi Tsukino did not exist, but yet here they were, residing in Quatre's house. He would have to keep an eye them. She had been plaguing his thoughts of late, and he didn't like it one bit. The Perfect Soldier did not dwell on girls.

It was nightfall when Rei and the others sat anxiously on the couch, waiting for the doctor to come down and give them a prognosis on Usagi. She had wanted to stay with her friend, but at the doctor's insistence and her newfound friends' gentle urgings, she finally allowed them to lead her downstairs to the living room. The doctor, who had used to come every day, had narrowed it down to once a week. When she heard the man's footsteps, she jumped out of her seat. The doctor held a look of utter astonishment on his face. They stared at him expectantly. 

"I have never seen anything like this in my entire career. Her pulse has become a lot stronger, a lot more stable. If this continues, it's only a matter of time before a full recovery. She should be back on track in about a month."

"A full recovery!" Quatre echoed, with his jaw dropped in amazement. Rei let out a squeal of pure happiness and grabbed the closest person to her for a hug: Wufei.

"Get your arms off of me!" The Chinese pilot growled, pushing her away from him. She was too ecstatic to care.

"Don't I get a hug, too?" Duo asked with a huge grin. Rei returned the smile and tackled the Shinigami in a hug, one that he eagerly returned. The others were too preoccupied to notice the disgruntled expression a certain brunette had before he turned away in disgust.

The doctor smiled and continued, "It's almost as if she's getting her energy from somewhere else. It's amazing."

*Energy from somewhere else . . . *

"That's it!" Rei nearly shouted, pulling away from Duo.

"What is it?" He frowned at the sudden break of contact.

"Err . . nothing. I just remembered something. Excuse me." She nearly flew out the room, leaving behind a confused group of individuals.

"I'm so stupid, stupid, stupid!" Rei berated herself as she ran up the stairs and to her queen's room. 

*I knew the Crystal was the source of her power, her life. I should have known better than to just leave it at that. What was it that Luna said? Something about the Crystal being only so powerful because of the senshi. So then the Crystal must draw its powers from all of the senshi, but with everyone dead and Usagi stuck in a different dimension, the Crystal was naturally weaked. Now that I'm here, the Crystal has been slowly getting a power boost from me! But I've been here for practically a week. The Crystal is working far to slow. Usa has to be up and running before They can find us. I'll just have to speed up her recovery.* She thought grimly. 

*Thank goodness for my priestess training. I just hope I have what it takes.*

"Thank you, doctor." Quatre closed the massive oak door and turned to face his friends, all of whom had grim expressions on their faces.

"We've got to talk about Rei." Trowa murmured quietly. The blonde nodded in understanding, and they all moved to Quatre's study for some privacy.

Once the door was shut, Wufei began his tirade. "I told you that onna was in cahoots with Oz! Both of them are, I'll bet! Rei shows up here 'unconscious' and all of a sudden that other onna has a miraculous recovery? That's way beyond a coincidence. How did she even know that blonde onna was even here in the first place? In this house? I'm telling you, both of them are here to infiltrate us."

"If she really was from Oz, don't you think Oz would have busted in here by now? There's no way she's from Oz." Duo shook his head in adamant denial.

"Then tell me why there haven't been any Oz attacks recently!" Duo opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't think of anything to say, so he settled for a glare.

As much as Quatre hated to doubt Rei, he had to side with Wufei this time. "Wufei does have a point," he muttered remorsely, feeling a pang of guilt for not defending her. "There is a possibility that she's just waiting to find out where our Gundams are."

"No, impossible. I'm telling you, Rei is NOT from Oz!" Duo repeated hotly, refusing to even suspect their new friend in the least.

"Listen, you braided baka! That onna is an agent!" The Chinese pilot shouted, his frustrations finally taking over.

Duo scowled at him. "Who's the braided baka?!"

That was the last straw as the two pilots erupted into another argument, except this time Wufei wasn't chasing the Shinigami around, and Duo was actually staying around for the verbal fight. Quatre sighed as his head began to pound from the animosity radiating from the two of them. Both two pilots were as stubborn as mules, and right now, neither refused to back down. Quatre turned to Trowa for help, but the brunette was lost in his own thoughts, not even acknowledging the fight. He decided maybe Heero's opinion would help out the situation.

"What do you think about all this, Heero?" Quatre was hoping he would tell the other two to shut up, but the blonde would settle for an opinion if it would end this matter. Heero didn't answer and continued to stare out the window. "Heero?"

"Heero? What do you think about Rei?" Quatre tried again, a little puzzled by Heero's moodiness.

"Gorgeous," he murmured, still in a daze. That stunned them. 

Wufei stopped in mid shout, completely forgetting to shut his mouth and leaving it hanging open. Duo whipped his head around so fast Quatre thought it would go spinning around full circle. Even Trowa snapped out of his thoughts and was staring at Heero with an odd expression on his face. And the young Arabian had a faint blush on his cheeks, feeling a bit guilty for finding amusement in what Heero had said when he was responsible for this sudden exposure.

Duo blinked. Twice. Was that just a display of the non-existent emotion from the Perfect Soldier? He was the first to recover, fully intending on exploiting the situation. It wasn't everyday the Perfect Soldier was caught unawares. His lavender eyes twinkled mischievously as he raced through all the possibilities of what Heero could add.

"Uhh yeah, Heero. What else?" The Shinigami attempted to coax more details out of the brunette, but fortunately for Heero, he snapped out of his stupor. He wasn't going to fall for the same thing twice, even if the first time was inadvertent.

"Omae o korosu."

Duo bit back a grin and shrugged. "Hell, it was worth a try."

It was long past midnight when Rei silently slipped out of her room. She had waited for everyone to fall asleep, or so she hoped. She could have sworn Heero would throw a wrench in the entire operation, he being the nocturnal one. The fire senshi crept down the hallway, wondering if it would be too much to ask if she asked Quatre if she could switch rooms. For all she knew, that brunette never slept a wink, making her wonder how he still managed to look so good. She blushed slightly at that thought, and just as quickly as it entered her mind, she pushed it away. She didn't have time to be thinking silly thoughts about a guy she knew nothing about. Instead, she had to focus on Serenity, and with that thought, a solemn expression settled on her face.

After making sure Rei got a fair head start, Heero crept out of his own room to follow her. The other pilots, as usual, were fast asleep. Apparently Duo wasn't the only one in the household that could go into stealth mode. She was as quiet as a mouse, and if he hadn't trusted his instincts, she would have been wandering around the mansion unguarded. He was glad he had installed a silent motion detector just outside her room, otherwise who knows where she could be going. Heero followed her at a safe distance, making sure not to hit any spots on the floor that would make the wood creak. It soon became obvious she was going to Usagi's room, so he stopped in his tracks, hiding in the shadows and waited. He watched as she slipped into the blonde's room, and that was when he decided he would wait to see if she planned on making any other stops. 

Rei locked the door and gazed at her queen affectionately. The moon's pale rays, which were the only source of light in the room, seemed to focus on the sleeping beauty, illuminating the blonde queen. Even in her weak condition, she seemed to bask in the rays, looking more like an angel than ever. The moonlight bounced off of her flaxen hair, giving it a healthy, lustrous sheen. Color was beginning to return, but there was still a slightly sallow tint to her skin. But her eyes that used to be full of emotion still held a vacant, empty look, and that was what bothered Rei the most.

Rei strode across the room and took a seat next to her queen, silently praying what she had in mind would work. She gently took Usagi's clammy hands in her own, and after murmuring a few chants in her native tongue, closed her eyes and concentrated. Long, grueling minutes passed, and still nothing happened. It began to appear that whatever the fire senshi wanted to do was turning out to be a failure. But persistency and a strong will paid off. 

The insignia of Mars began to vaguely glow a soft, pink hue on her forehead. Beads of perspiration appeared on her forehead, a sign of the strain she was dealing with. As the minutes ticked by, the war emblem glowed brighter and brighter until it was blazing crimson. By now, the perspiration was trickling freely down her face. Her beautiful face was contorted in a mixture of emotions, the most dominant of which was anxiety. 

Rei furrowed her brows in deep concentration as she continued to pass her ki to her queen. At first she had thought accepting her ki was a problem, but now she realized that should have been the least of her concerns. The Crystal was sucking in her ki like a starved woman given her first decent meal in a month. It was drawing in too much energy far too fast to be safe, and Rei had no idea how to stop it. 

The energy the Crystal was in taking was already having its affects on the blonde. Her skin returned to its normal, healthy tan, and her lips began to turn into a soft pink hue. Even her eyes were beginning to return to its luxurious sapphire blue. But as these changes were occurring to Usagi, Rei was beginning to feel the deleterious effects of such a dangerous ki transfer. She was trembling head to toe with the effort of maintaining her status. Her skin had turned a deathly pale, drained of all color. 

Rei knew she had to break the connection, otherwise the Crystal would suck her dry. Her eyes shot open and she tore her hand from her queen's tight grip, immediately cutting off the ki transfer. The insignia on her forehead disappeared immediately, and the moon returned to being the only source of light in the room. Rei's shoulders sagged as she watched her queen sigh contently before closing her eyes into a peaceful slumber. The fire senshi had not expected the transfer to be anywhere near this taxing, but then again, she hadn't expected the Crystal to drain her like this. She stumbled to her feet, only to have them give way beneath her. As she hit the floor, already losing consciousness, she could vaguely hear someone trying to enter the room. Before another thought could cross her mind, she fell into a troubled state of rest.

It had taken Heero a lot longer than he had expected to get into the room. He had seen the red hue creeping out from under the door, and by the time he entered, the glow was gone. Instead, he found Rei crumpled on the floor and Usagi sleeping peacefully. He gently picked up the young beauty, holding her close to him. His frown deepened as he noticed her hair was matted to her forehead, and her breaths came in shuddering gasps. He heaved a sigh as he made his way back to her room, making sure not to wake anyone.

Heero gently placed her on her queen-sized bed and tucked her in. He stared down at her sleeping form and gently brushed a lock of hair away from her face. He marveled at the silkiness of her ebony tresses, barely resisting the urge to run his hands through them. Almost subconsciously, he leaned down and lightly brushed his lips against her cheek. His mind was screaming furiously at him, wanting to know just what on earth he was doing. His normally cold, icy eyes were glazed over with a warm, foreign emotion that was reserved strictly for her. He tenderly caressed her cheek with his hand before suddenly jerking away as if he had been burned. With great difficulty, he tore his eyes from her. It was all he could do to keep from running out of the room.

Light years away, in a dark, dank room, a figure cloaked in black sat stiffly on a rotting, wooden throne. In front of it was a floating, black orb suspended in mid air. And in that orb, for his eyes alone, was a hologram of Sailor Mars. The image kept enlarging until her face was the only thing he could so.

"Gotcha. I knew you couldn't fool us forever. Foolish girl. All those years of fighting, all those times you've died, and you vapid warriors haven't learned a thing. Let the games begin. I'm coming for you, my beautiful princess. I'm coming." His raspy laughter could be heard throughout the entire building, making those outside cringe in fear. No wonder he was all alone in there.

It was bright and early in the morning when Quatre made his way into Usagi's room for her daily checkup, which had become somewhat of a routine. He was always the first one up, aside from Heero. Heero didn't distinguish between going to sleep and waking up, mostly because he never went to sleep in the first place. So Quatre, being the first one up, always started his day off by visiting the beautiful blonde girl. Although she was unable to respond, he found himself looking forward to their meetings more and more each day. He would always bask in the peacefulness that seemed to radiate from her, and it would always soothe his nerves.

This morning, he could sense there was something different about her. Just from her appearance, she looked like she had made an overnight recovery. But that wasn't possible. The doctor had said at least a month, and last he checked, one night was definitely not a month. Yet as he peered down at her, her eyes flew open and she sat up, stretching and yawning.

Quatre stumbled back into the chair, tripping and landing flat on his butt. His eyes never left her's, entranced by the way her sapphire eyes seemed to shine. She immediately leaned down to help him.

"Are you okay?" 

She tried to tug him up but soon found out he was far too heavy for her. He stood up abruptly and she went flying back into bed. Quatre, who would have apologized, found himself staring at her in disbelief.

"Y-you're awake!" He stammered, not knowing what else to say.

"Of course I'm awake, silly. I'm here talking to you, aren't I?" She was staring oddly at him, and Quatre had a feeling she was wondering whether or not he was sane.

"But the doctors-" He stopped himself, and after taking a deep breath to calm himself, continued, "Rei has been so worried about you. I really should go get here. She'd be ecstatic at seeing you up."

"Rei? Who's Rei?"

= = = = = = = = = = = = = 

So what did you think? Sorry to those who wanted to know what happened to Crystal Tokyo and all the other senshi. I plan on slowly incorporating it into the plot, but if you really want to know, or if there are any questions/concerns etc, feel free to drop me an email (inspirationdrifts@yahoo.com). That way for those who don't mind waiting or just don't care, I won't spoil it for them. Once again, special thanks to those who reviewed! Please continue to do so! ^_^


	4. Chapter 3A

AN: I'm terribly sorry this took so long to get out, and I do realize it is not as long as I hoped it would be. But I didn't want to keep you guys waiting that long, especially since you guys have been so great with reviews. I never would have thought anyone, and certainly never all of you guys, would have read my story and enjoyed some part of it.

Because school has started, my writing time has been cut short drastically. I've also run into a small wall with this story, so if any of you guys have any insight you would like to add, please feel free. I need all the help I can get. 

As for showing my appreciation, I've decided to dedicate every chapter from here on in to all of you who take the time to read and respond. My dedications will consist of people who reviewed in the previous chapter. As for all the chapters before the last one, I'll integrate the other reviewers in. 

Dedications: Ali, Tengokunou Arashi, RubyRedDragon05, Alitheria, Pierce, Z.Z. Zarah, Krissy, Tahjako Hino, Princess Ren, Icyfire, Chibi Sarcasm, Mars_G, SeeMe?, Raye Maxwell, Myst Lady, zero, Jammie, Dan Inverse, monoxide_child, marzy001, Mikomi, bleh, IsleofSolitude, Black Aura-Sama, lady pyro, PrincessGamgee.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. I only wish I did.

It was a gorgeous day outside, but inside the Winner Mansion, the mood was far from joyous. Five somber pilots were gathered downstairs in Quatre's closed study where the young master had dropped a bombshell on them. Usagi had amnesia. This was starting to turn into a soap opera. Needless to say, none of the pilots were too happy when they found out what was going on, and now, several minutes later, they were still trying to overcome the initial shock of Usagi waking up a month earlier than the doctor had believed. And now throw in amnesia. This was just too much; no one knew what to make of the situation, except Wufei. The Chinese pilot was the only one who didn't seem to be fazed by the situation. In fact, he had a smug expression on his face.

"What have I been telling you from day one?!" He exclaimed indignantly, his nostrils flaring slightly. "Those two onnas are scheming for Oz. Why else has it been so quiet lately? Why bother attacking when THEY ARE ALREADY IN THE HOUSE?!"

Duo scowled viciously at the Chinese pilot, jumping to the two girls' defense. "For the last time, those two are not with Oz!"

Before another infamous argument could erupt, Quatre held up a hand to silence the braided pilots. "Wufei does have a point, but once again, my senses pick up nothing malicious about Rei or Usagi. If they are Oz agents, I am positive I would have picked up something by now."

"Not if they are trained-" Wufei started, unwilling to back out of this argument.

"Trust me, Wufei," Quatre told him quietly. "They are not from Oz." *I've sat by Usagi's side everyday of every week for nearly a month now. I should know.* Wufei was about to protest again, but one look from the blonde silenced him on the mater. Taking control over the situation, Quatre had stepped up into a leadership role, and the stern look on his face held no room for arguments. He had the floor.

"There are many matters Usagi's amnesia brings about we will have to address. I do want to thank all of you for respecting my request of not interrogating Rei about her past. So far, even Wufei has managed to leave that subject untouched, and once again I am thankful. But Usagi's amnesia does bring about too many unanswered questions, so I am afraid we will have to pry a bit. Rei will undoubtedly be devastated at Usagi's current state, and we must do all we can to help her cope." At this, Wufei snorted but remained silent. Quatre continued on as if he had not been interrupted.

"I believe one of us should break the news to her before she finds out for herself. That way, she would have time to comprehend the situation before meeting Usagi. Although this will most likely be a trying time for her, she will have to shed some light on the situaion at hand. But that does NOT mean an interrogation." He shot meaningful glances at both Heero and Wufei. The latter did not look too pleased at Quatre's last comment.

"So who's going to be the messenger?"

That seemed to be the question of the decade. None of them wanted to be a messenger of bad tidings. Silence smothered the study, as for once, no one dared to accept a mission.

__

Mars grimaced at the sight that greeted her. Even after all the lifetimes of fighting, of bloodshed, the devastating consequences of this particular battle would haunt her like no other. Crystal Tokyo had been utterly destroyed by from what she could tell, was only the first wave of the attack. Gorgeous green hills that she and the others always had picnics on were now charred to an ugly burnt umber. The beautiful blue skies they had gazed upon were now marred with ash gray smoke that hung ominously over the broken city. The Crystal Palace, which had once stood proud and tall, had long since crashed to the floor in a heap of rubble.

The fire senshi's first concern was the Royal Family. Where was Neo-Queen Serenity? She could not sense her or any of the other senshi for that matter. Ever since she had set foot back on Earth, her senses had gone haywire. She had not even been able to sense a youma creeping up on her from her blind side. It was not until it was a yard behind her when she realized she was not alone. On a bad day, she would have been able to sense it coming at least a mile away. That was how keen her senses had developed over the years. So now after that incident and although she still could not sense her friends, she did not allow panic to seize her. Reason told her there was no way the senshi could have gone down in battle. Reason told her Setsuna would have seen it coming and warned them. Reason told her they were invincible.

Yet despite trying to reason with herself, she practically flew down the hill towards Crystal Tokyo. She turned a blind eye to all the destruction that lay in between her and the palace. She was deaf to the heart wrenching pleas for help. All that mattered was making sure the Queen was alive. She did not have any time to spare for the other casualties. Otherwise she would have failed her duty, and most importantly, she would have failed her Queen. Lifetimes would have been wasted. The fire senshi was just reaching the city borders when a cry stood out from the others.

"Rei." Mars halted in her tracks. She could place that voice anywhere. Minako.

"Minako?"

She turned around and found her friend yards away lying in a puddle of her own blood, with a crustacean like youma crushing her from above. The fire senshi flew to her leader's side, all the while pushing back the tears that were welling up. 

When she got there, she let out a horrified cry at the grotesque image before her. From a distance, it had appeared that the pretty blonde was crushed to the ground, but now that Mars was next to her, she realized it was not so. Minako was, in fact, painfully hovering inches above the ground. The monster had impaled its claw right through her abdomen, and because of the long, razor spikes that lined the side of the claw digging into her skin, Minako had been unable to slide off.

"Took you long enough," the blonde managed to choke out. The small wink told her she was only joking. At that, Mars nearly lost all her composure, but at the last minute when it felt like she was going to cry, choked down any emotion other than anger.

"Usa?" she asked softly, afraid of what the answer could be.

"We forced her inside. She should be alright." Minako gasped out, spewing out a few drops of blood. Mars nodded as reassuringly as she could. The last thing her friend needed to hear right now was that the Crystal Palace was in ruins.

"I'll go get Hotaru." Mars was about to move when her friend quickly stopped her.

"No, it's too late for me." Minako paused, taking in huge gasps of air. The conversation was taking it's toll on her. "Hotaru . . . must . . save . . energy."

"Minako, I can't leave you here!"

"You're . . our only . . hope. Go! That's . . . an . . ord-" With a choking gasp, her body went limp as her head fell backwards, hitting the ground. The sentence remained unfinished as her eyes gradually closed shut. 

Mars tightly shut her eyes, bending down to give her blonde leader a farewell kiss. A single tear dropped onto Minako's face before sliding down her cheek and down onto the ground, mixing in with her blood. Mars was no where to be seen.

Rei shot out of bed, panting heavily. Her brow was lined with sweat, making it look like she had just finished a workout. She clutched at her sheets as she battled the ghosts of her pasts. This was the first night she had had nightmares ever since she had found Usagi. Somehow, even in her inanimate state, her queen comforted her. Just knowing she hadn't fallen prey to those bastards was comfort enough. Her queen was safe, and that was all that mattered. Her queen! Of course!

The fire senshi tossed the covers aside, and without even bothering to check her attire, bolted out of the room. Her queen should be completely healed by now, which meant she could have someone to share her pain with. It meant someone could finally answer all her questions regarding the final battle. It was still a mystery to her as to how Usagi managed to escape. All Pluto had managed to tell her was that Usagi was no longer in Crystal Tokyo, and then the wild goose chase had begun. But now that Usagi was awake, Rei could put the ghosts of the past away. Now she could finally have some answers about the enemy, about the attack, about everything.

She threw her door open, and without bothering to check to see if the coast was clear, sprinted out the room. She managed to take two long strides before slamming into something rock solid. Something rock solid that moved.

Heero was on his way to his room when he passed by Rei's room. All of a sudden, the door swung open with a force hard enough to put a hole in the wall. He barely managed to avoid being flattened like a pancake against the wall when something soft collided into him, knocking him down to the floor. He hit the ground with a thud as a mass of raven landed on top of him with an 'oof'. 

The Perfect Soldier soon realized the mass of ebony was actually hair, and that someone, not something, was pressed on top of him. Just his luck. Rei. She slowly raised her head, a blush staining the sheepish expression on her face. It was then he realized why she was so embarrassed. She was clad in a skimpy nightgown, one she undoubtedly got from one of Quatre's sisters' wardrobe. It didn't leave much to the imagination. He swallowed hard as his eyes slowly found hers in a clash of glossy amethyst and blazing Prussian blue.

Rei scrambled to her feet, quickly fixing her nightgown. Her face remained at its red hue, refusing to die down. She should have been more careful, but in her excitement to see Usagi, she had forgotten there were other occupants in the mansion, other occupants that walked by her room all the time. Mainly, there was Heero. The one next door.

"Sorry about that. I didn't know you were outside." She fidgeted with the hem of her nightgown, avoiding his gaze. He slowly got up, his eyes never leaving her for even a second. Rei hastily muttered another excuse before trying to rush past him again, towards Usagi's.

"Wait." 

Heero grabbed her arm as she tried to dash past him. She turned to him, her eyes questioning. Now that he had her attention, he didn't know what to say. He hadn't meant to grab her arm. It just happened, but he knew where she was headed. They had all finally decided Trowa was best fit to break the news to Rei. He would simply have to distract her until Trowa got here. 

"You can't go down there," He blurted out, mentally cursing himself for his sudden brain freeze. He was the Perfect Soldier. Lying was part of his job, yet now he couldn't even think of a simple excuse!

Rei arched an eyebrow, staring at him impatiently. "And why not?"

"Because Quatre said so." He took a deep breath, calming himself. Realizing he was still holding onto her, he gave her arm a gentle tug, pulling her closer to him. Bad move. She immediately blushed again, and Heero couldn't help but drown in her beauty. She was the first to look away again.

"Heero, I really should go check on Usagi." She started to pull away, but his grip remained firm. "Hee-"

He shook his head, cutting her off. "Usagi's fine. She's still in stable condition and recovering rapidly. Quatre says at this rate, she'll wake up a lot sooner then the doctor predicted, but he doesn't want anyone in the room disturbing her rest. He's even posted Rashid at the door to make sure no one disturbs your friend."

He held his breath, hoping she would buy his story. Since when did lying become so difficult? She stared at him for long, torturous moments. He could read the mixture of emotions on her face, ranging from doubt to uncertainty to understanding.

"I suppose Quatre's right. Usagi does need her rest. Are you sure there's been no change? None at all?" She asked, nibbling on her lower lip as she considered what he had just told her.

"Only that she is recovery rapidly." It was definitely time to change the subject. "I'll tell you what. Why don't you go change, and I'll take you out shopping? I'm sure there's stuff you need to pick up." Rei stared at him in disbelief, causing Heero to shift uncomfortably. Was there something on his face she was staring at? "What?"

Rei shook her head, snapping out of her daze. "You just don't strike me as the type to go shopping. I would have thought shopping was more of a Duo thing."

"So does that mean we're going?"

She stared at him a while longer, contemplating on whether or not to take him up on his offer. She did really need to go shopping, and he did say Usagi was beyond stable. If she stayed at home, she still wouldn't be able to get past Rashid. But going shopping with Heero? What were they going to talk about? Up until now, he had barely spoken to her. How was she going to survive shopping with him?

Rei was about to decline, but one look at him wiped all doubts away. He looked so adorable with his hands stuffed in his pockets and his hair all tousled. For a moment, she was reminded of a shy little boy not knowing how to confront a girl. She flashed him a smile. Oh, why not? She deserved some fun.

"Sure, just let me get changed, okay? Then I'm all yours." 

Heero waited until she had shut her door before letting out a huge sigh. What had he just gotten himself into?

= = = = = =

So how was it? Hopefully it met an inkling of your standards. Once again I apologize for how long it took me to get this chapter out and for how short it was. I promise to make the other half of this chapter considerably longer. Once again, if you have any ideas, or etc, just let me know!

As for pairings, man you guys are making it hard for me. Don't get me wrong, I love your responses and I take everything you guys say into consideration. At first I thought I was favoring Trowa to be the final pairing, but with the sudden influx of requests for Heero, I started favoring Heero. Now, after much deliberation, I'm still back at square one. I haven't finalized my decision yet, but there will be plenty of romance between Rei and both guys (it is a love triangle, afterall). But, I already have an idea for the sequel which will include the pilot that doesn't end up with Rei in this story. (Yes I know, I'm not even done with this story and I already have an idea for the sequel, unless if you guys don't want a sequel.) - - ; 


	5. Chapter 3B

Dedications: Princess Ren, sandrose, Alitheria, Ruby Red Dragon05, Lady Light, 

vegetasangel-1804, IsleofSolitude, :D, PrettyinBlue, usagihater#10000000000, Priscilla, lady pyro, Icyfire. (and everyone else who has been reviewing)

AN: Thanks so much for the reviews! You all have been giving me wonderful ideas, even if you don't realize it. Yes, I am considering a Quatre/Usagi. As for when Rei first saw Quatre, Rei was indeed reminded of Jadeite. Well, short AN this time to balance out the super long one last time. Hope you like! And to clarify everything, this is a Trowa/Rei/Heero story. Those pairings have been finalized.

Warnings: Some language and sexual innuendo.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon/Gundam Wing.

Rei ran a hand through her tousled hair for the umpteenth time. She was still in her nightgown, and as Minako would have said, in no condition to go out. It wasn't like she was squandering around or anything along those lines, but it was her indecisiveness to pick out an outfit that was killing her. Her face brightened when she spotted the maroon tank top with a sun-like design blazing on the front. She quickly found black khakis to match. The khakis were the right size, but the tank top was smaller than she had expected. The fabric clung to her body, tantalizingly. The bottom hem reached just above her belly button, revealing her toned abs.

She tugged the shirt down, but it slid right back up. She frowned and repeated the process but got the same result. Giving up for the moment, Rei checked her reflection in the mirror. She desperately needed this shopping trip. It was about time she started wearing her own clothes. She was just about to brush her hair when a soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

Heero stared at the closed door while wracking his brain for something to say so she wouldn't think he was some sort of idiot. He wasn't sure why he knocked on the door except she was taking awfully long, or so he thought. In reality, only a few minutes had passed, but to him, it felt like an eternity.

"It's me. Are you ready yet?" As the words left his mouth, he mentally cursed himself. He sounded like an impatient jerk who wanted to get something over with. God, he hoped she didn't get that impression from him. He had simply wanted to make sure she did not fall back asleep or something like that.

There was a slight pause before she answered, "Just a few more minutes."

"Okay, well I'll be in the garage. Take your time." He practically flew down the stairs. He needed to find a suitable ride, and more importantly, a topic of conversation. What in the world was he going to say to her?!

'I knew it! I'm taking too long!' Rei hastily applied a touch of makeup before turning around to survey the room. She crinkled her nose in distaste as she stared at the small mountain of clothes sprawled on the floor. She hated having to leave such a mess, but this was an exception. She didn't want to keep Heero waiting.

When she entered the garage, she was astounded at the rows of cars parked inside. It looked a lot more like a car museum. There were even gas pumps! She followed the sound of the running engine to find Heero sitting on top of a sleek, black motorcycle. She loved motorcycles! She loved the adrenaline and sense of freedom that came with riding a motorcycle. And this one definitely looked like it could do some serious damage. She remembered when she used to ride with Haruka, and how they would speed down the streets. Maybe he would even let her drive on the way back. She hesitated for a moment as she realized what close proximity of each other they would be in. Rei remembered how she had to cling to Haruka to make sure she didn't fall off, and the fire senshi had a hunch Heero would not be much slower.

Luckily for Heero, he already had his helmet on and the tinted visor down over his eyes, thus efficiently hiding them from view and leaving him free to take in her beauty. She was absolutely gorgeous. The shirt seemed a bit tight, but instead of looking tacky, it only served to emphasize her generous curves. He noticed the hesitation that crossed over her features and for a moment worried that she wasn't going to get on. He had chosen the motorcycle so that he would not have to worry about maintaining a conversation, but now, he wasn't sure if that was such a great idea. She would be pressed against him the entire time. Maybe she would call the whole thing off. 

"We good to go?" He asked, snapping her out of her reverie. No such luck.

"H-How are we going to bring back the bags?" 

"Don't worry about it. Having the heir to the Winner Incorporation has its advantages. We can have them delivered at no extra expense." He handed her a helmet before turning around front, waiting for her to get on. A moment later, she slid in behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She leaned into him, her soft curves pressing against him. He gulped. This was going to be one long ride.

Rei shivered as the wind rushed past her. She was right. Heero was far from a slow driver. He would probably even give Haruka a worthy run for her money, but that wasn't what was bothering her. It was his gosh darn muscles and intoxicating aftershave. Why did he have to smell so good?! The wife beater he was wearing wasn't helping either. Why did he have to be so perfect? She could only thank the heavens he had no diea what was going on in her mind.

Heero felt her shiver against him, and that was when he realized he was going way over the speed limit. He smirked as he realized if she had been any other girl, she would have been screaming in his ear for him to stop, but then again, she wasn't just any other girl. He slowed the bike down considerably and was surprised when she urged him to speed back up. He was more than happy to comply. Maybe this wasn't going to be as disastrous as he had envisioned.

Rei was browsing through her sixth store, with Heero in tow, when she ran into the Shinigami. She greeted him with a warm smile of surprise.

"Duo! What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, gorgeous." As usual, she blushed a soft pink. He winked at Heero, who looked like he could shoot the flirtatious pilot on the spot. Rei quickly diverted her attention back to the rack of clothes. Duo fished through the same rack and pulled out a flimsy, lavender halter-top.

"You ought to try this on."

Rei laughed, remembering the first time she had ever slipped into a halter-top. Minako had insisted she try a halter-top on or else she was going to use her Love-Me-Chain to tie her to the room. So in the interest of time and her own welfare, Rei tried on the top, and surprisingly, she had found it quite comfortable. She had even worn it home to the Shrine where upon seeing her, Chad had walked straight into a lamppost. The poor guy, she and Minako had wailed like hyenas. The whole situation had been insanely hilarious, but of course, they had checked to make sure Chad was alright.

Duo merely arched an eyebrow as he saw the mischief and merriment light up in her eyes, something that was definitely unusual for him to see. Still lost in her own thoughts, she grabbed the halter-top and made her way to the dressing room.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Heero turned to his friend with a slight scowl on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" Duo asked as innocently as he possibly could. "I saw you and Rei here so I decided to stop by and see how you two were doing." Before they could say anymore, a loud, familiar voice tore through the store.

"HEEEERRROOO!"

The blonde girl strode up to the two pilots, encircled her arm around Heero's, and started ushering him away out the door, all the while gushing about another store she wanted to visit. Heero managed to spare a glance back at Duo, who was trying his hardest to hold in his laughter, before Relena gave him another sharp tug and he was forced to turn back around.

The door swung open, and Rei stepped out in her black khaki's and the violet halter-top, ready for inspection. Duo's expression was worth putting on the skimpy outfit. It wasn't like she dressed in oversized trash bags; it was just that she was always a little more conservative than backless halter-tops. Until today. 

She spun around in a slow circle for the young pilot, all the while laughing at his reaction. His jaw hung open where saliva was beginning to pool, and his eyes were as wide as saucers. Her mirth waned slightly when she realized Heero wasn't there.

"Wow. You look amazing. Now there is NO way I am going to let you change back into that tank top."

As usual, Rei blushed slightly, but nonetheless, she arched a delicate eyebrow asking, "Are you saying I look bad in that tank?"

"Of course not, gorgeous. You could come in a potato sack and you would still have the attention of every male in the proximity." He motioned around him, and for the first time, Rei realized several people were sneaking glances at her, both male and female alike. Duo grinned as the rosy hue on her cheeks deepened; he found her adorable when she blushed.

"You know what? You and I are going to go to Oasis." Duo told her firmly, determined for her to have some fun. Seeing her puzzled expression, he quickly added, "Oasis is the hottest club in town."

Rei glanced at him in surprise. "But it's not even dark yet. From where I come from, clubs are usually open at night. And what about Heero?"

Duo chuckled, leading her back to the dressing room. "Trust me, Heero is in good hands. And don't worry about Oasis. The great Shinigami knows what he is talking about."

'The God of Death, eh? And people thought being the Goddess of War and Passion was eccentric.'

"Duo!" You didn't tell me this club was nearly two hours away! And in no traffic, either! Goodness, are we even in the same city?" Rei asked as she got out of Duo's black convertible. She glanced in the side view mirror, attempting to tame her wild mane.

"Of course! This is the only city in the area, so of course it's going to be huge. Besides, this is the best club around. I guarantee you'll have fun." He hooked his arm around her waist and guided her towards the bouncer at the door.

"Duo! The hell you doing here so early?" The bouncer, who looked to be twice the pilot's size, broke out in a toothless grin. Apparently he had been in his fair share of fights. 

"Max, my man! What's up? Well I decided to show the lady around." He nodded his head towards Rei, and Max whistled appreciatively. Rei had decided to leave the halter-top on, but she had changed into a black miniskirt that ended mid-thigh and had slipped on three-inch heels to complete her outfit.

"You look wonderful, Ms-"

Rei flashed him a small smile. "Hino, but please, just call me Rei."

"And I'm Max. Anything you need, just call." He opened the door for them, and Duo led them inside. After walking down a small hallway, they reached the main room where it was utterly packed. And it wasn't even eight yet! Amazing.

"Not bad, huh?" Duo asked as he led her onto the dance floor.

"Not bad at all." Rei had been to her fair share of clubs before, mostly with Minako, and she knew the difference between good clubs and fair ones. This was definitely a "good" one. She let a rueful smile slip over her features as she realized Minako was not here with her before pushing the memories aside. Tonight, she was here to have fun.

From a table upstairs, a young man watched the raven haired figure dance for all she was worth. His features warped into a scowl when he noticed her chestnut haired companion. He had been so absorbed in watching her, he had failed to notice the brunette earlier. He had simply assumed he was another one of those guys who wanted to get a piece of her attention. Apparently that was not so. He watched as they made their way off the dance floor and upstairs, settling for a open table not too far away. He narrowed his eyes in disgust. The brunette had to go. If anyone saw him at the moment, they would have noticed a faint, red hue emanating from him.

"Wasn't this worth the drive?" Hours later, the couple had decided to grab a table and take a breather. Duo was astounded at how she had managed to match his pace for so long, especially in those heels. And damn, she could dance.

"As long as I'm not driving!" She shouted back over the music, gently tapping her hand to the beat. Except Duo wasn't listening to her. Instead, his eyes were glued to a figure down on the dance floor, one who looked vaguely familiar. Duo had long since learned to trust his instinct in placing familiar faces. Most of the time they were Oz officials he had seen during his covert missions. 

"I have something to take care of. You going to be okay?" He asked her, his indigo eyes never leaving the figure on the dance floor.

"Yeah, go ahead! I'm fine." Rei was too pumped to notice his abrupt change in demeanor. He was gone before she could even ask where he was headed. As soon as Duo was gone, Rei felt another presence towering behind her. 

"Is this seat taken?" A deep, husky voice asked in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. She glanced up to find herself drowning in a pool of cerulean. _Oh God, not again._

Rei forced a smile before shaking her head no. He gently brushed past her as he pulled up a seat next to her. She took the opportunity to do a double take. His resemblance to her former lover was uncanny. The man next to her was just as well built, and just as handsome, except his hair wasn't nearly as light. She grabbed her drink and downed the contents. She shook off the sudden head rush before focusing her attention back to the man next to her.

He flashed her a grin. "What do you say we hit the dance floor?" 

She nodded and stood up, only to wobble slightly. Since when was she this uncoordinated? He reached out to steady her. 

"You alright?"

"Never been better! Come on!" Her voice was slightly chipper than usual. She led him down on to the dance floor where she began dirty dancing with him. There wasn't much room on the floor to do anything else. 

Rei felt like she was on Cloud Nine as she grinded her hips against his. She had a natural affinity for attracting attention, which she was currently doing a fine job of. The males were crowding around her trying to grab a piece of the action while the females were shooting her coveted glances. She could feel his hands running up and down her back, and for once, she didn't mind. For a moment, Rei was in an alternate timeline, an alternate place. That's when her vision began to blur.

"What do you say we get some fresh air?"

Rei stumbled out the door with her blonde companion in tow, laughing at some unknown joke. The world was spinning around her, but she could care lesss. She was enjoying herself, for the first time in months. She had no idea where she was leading her newfound friend, except that she was walking. No wait, it was the other way around. He was leading her somewhere, and she was following. 

She was just about to ask where he was taking her when she was abruptly shoved into a cold concrete wall, and firm, demanding lips closed over her own. He pinned her over the wall, all the while ravishing her mouth. As soon as his lips came in contact with hers, all senses flew out the window as ancient memories came flooding back to the surface. She was swept away to a different time, a different place, a different person. She was no longer in the alleyway with a stranger, but instead, she was with the one man in her past who was able to light her skin on fire. She let out a small moan as his hands ran along the sides of her back, her body. For once, she was experiencing the passion she had been desperately craving for. Before the whole situation could escalate into something more, the man was roughly jerked away from her, snapping her back to reality.

Heero was seeing red. He tossed the man into the opposite wall as hard as he could. He had seen those hands up her halter-top, he had seen him rubbing against her, he had seen her kissing him back. He didn't know which one bothered him more, and right now, he didn't give a damn. First things first, and first on the agenda was giving the blonde an ass kicking he would never forget. After seeing Rei's glassy and dazed expression, he was sure the blonde was a stranger, and Heero immediately knew.

The bastard slipped something into her drink. His training kicked in as he left the man unconscious in a flurry of blows. There was no doubt he would have to be hospitalized. Under normal circumstances, the man would be dead, but since Rei was standing behind him, he didn't want to taint her with his violence.

Once satisfied, the Perfect Soldier turned to Rei and studied her for a moment, as if trying to figure out if she was harmed in any way. She continued to breathe heavily while staring at him with wide, amethyst saucers. Her lips were swollen, her face flushed, and her hair was tousled. The bottom strings of her halter-top were untied, hanging loosely at her sides. The two thin straps tied around her neck was the only thing holding her top in place. Why was she such a temptress? She looked so innocent and naïve, as if she had no idea what was going on, yet she looked like a seductive vixen who was wreaking havoc on his mind.

Rei had seen his attack, and even in her drugged state, knew he had moved inhumanely fast. Was she even that good? What if he tried something like that on her? He took a step towards her, and she cringed slightly, pressing herself against the wall. 

Heero ignored the sudden pang that sliced through his heart. Instead, he held out his hand to her. "Come on Rei, it's time to go home." She remained pressed to the wall like a cornered animal.

"I-I don't want home." She hiccupped as she continued to stare at him, shivering as a breeze blew past her. She was scared, scared that he was mad at her, scared that he thought she was a slut, and most importantly, scared of him.

"Come here," he growled huskily. She stepped towards him, not wanting to end up like the man on the ground. All she wanted was a little fun. She didn't mean for it to turn out this way.

It was all she could do to keep from bolting as his hands reached for her waist. She shut her eyes, not wanting to know what horrible fate awaited her. To her surprise, his hands reached for the strings from her halter-top. His fingers gently brushed against her silky skin as he tied it into a small ribbon, firmly securing her top in place and sending another shiver down her spine. She watched with wide eyes as he took off his tank and ripped the material down the middle without even straining his muscles. She watched as he pulled her close before wrapping the fabric around her shoulder like a shawl. He gently knotted it in the front so that she wouldn't have to hold it in place.

Rei glanced up at him in surprise. Since when did the Perfect Soldier care for anything? Did he even care for her, or was he simply upholding his duty as a gentleman to come to a girl's rescue? She was astounded at the hunger she saw in his eyes, hunger directed at her. She ducked her head in shame, unable to face him. Her world began to spin again, and it was all she could do to remain standing. Strong arms reached down to scoop her up. The last thing she remembered before she passed out was his intense Prussian blue eyes staring down at her.

The young couple had been so absorbed with each other neither had noticed the figure on the ground watching them with a burning hatred in his eyes. If Heero had turned back to check on the young blonde, he would have seen that he was no longer crumpled on the ground, but instead, standing perfectly on two feet glaring daggers at him. If he had turned back, he would have seen the red glow emanating from him. He would have realized the man had survived his attack. 

He would have realized the man was never unconscious.

= = = = = = = 

So, how was it? Hope it met your standards. Please review and indulge me with all of your insight!


	6. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing, but Trent Calhoun is my character. (You'll see what I am talking about.)  
  
AN: Sorry this was such a long wait! But while you guys are waiting for the next installment of SWIB, go check out Yesterdays (my other fic). It's meant to keep you guys somewhat entertained while you wait for the next chapter. As for the last chapter, I apologize for again for it being so short and confusing. This chapter explains what happened back at the club, and if it is still confusing, I'll explain at the end of this chapter what happened.  
  
Btw, to all the Wufei fans out there, I don't mean to make him such an anti- onna character (actually, I do) but it's only because he makes the perfect antagonist out of all the Gundam pilots. His natural inclination against females and stubborn personality make it perfect for him to be naturally suspicious. Hey, it wouldn't be realistic if they ALL accepted Rei w/ open arms, now would it? Anyhow, I just wanted to clarify that I do not hate Wufei or anything along those lines.  
  
And yes, our other 'mysterious' character is Jadeite. More explanations of him and his powers will come next chapter.  
  
Dedications: RubyRedDragon05, Vegetasangel-1804, Myst Lady M-chan, Marsgoddess, Alitheria, sandrose, "Anon. 1", Heart Soul, Icyfire, "Anon. 2", Priscilla, Princes Ren, Isle of Solitude, :), Chibi Sarcasm, YEN-X-54, DragonStar, babeof01and05+trunks, Mars Child, WiKeD tEnShI.  
  
  
  
She Walks In Beauty: Chapter 4  
  
  
  
It was well into the morning when Duo staggered in through the front door, looking more exhausted than ever. His hair, which was held in its usually neat and tight braid, was loose and tousled. He made his way into the living room, where the other pilots were, and collapsed onto the couch. He was so worn out he didn't even notice how Heero looked like he was ready to pounce on the Shinigami.  
  
"Where's Rei?" The fatigue in his voice was evident.  
  
"Upstairs," Trowa replied, seeing how the other two pilots weren't about to answer. He could tell Heero was ready to tear Duo apart; the only thing keeping the Shinigami together in one piece still was what explanation he had to offer.  
  
"What the hell happened to you?" Wufei demanded, eyeing the bruise that was forming across Duo's cheek.  
  
"I ran into Oz." Cries of dismay rang across the room. It was safe to say that was the last explanation they had been expecting. The pilots had been thinking more along the lines of Duo getting in a fight over some pretty looking girl, which they would later realize was the reason behind to his bruise. But Duo didn't want to tell them that first in case anyone of them, particularly Heero, wanted to further mar his face.  
  
"Where?" Heero demanded, putting his plans for Duo's demise on hold for the moment. He made a mental note to schedule a sparring session with the blonde sometime in the near future. Oz or no Oz, he should never have left Rei alone.  
  
"At the club. That's why I left Rei there. She made it back alright?"  
  
Wufei snorted in disgust. "Quit worrying about the onna and tell us what happened with Oz! Who did you see from Oz?!"  
  
"Their number one hit-man, Trent Calhoun. Remember him?" Duo asked sarcastically. Of course they remembered him. Trent had been involved in numerous attempts at unmasking the secret identities of the Gundam pilots, and he had come pretty gosh darn close in doing so. He also kept an immaculate assassination record. No one escaped from him.  
  
"What was Trent Calhoun doing at the Oasis?"  
  
"Scheming with the onna, that's what!" Wufei suggested immediately. "Isn't it a coincidence that both of them happen to be at the same club on the same night at the same time?"  
  
Duo shot him a sour look. "He was no where near her."  
  
"That still doesn't explain your altercation," Trowa pointed out.  
  
"Bar fight. Don't ask." Wufei snorted. Typical Duo.  
  
"Calhoun, did he see you?" Heero demanded, making sure they stayed on topic.  
  
Duo shook his head while muttering, "Please, give me some credit. By the way, where's Q?"  
  
"Upstairs working with the other onna. If that's all, I'm going to practice my katana. Someone should fill him in. He has been with that onna all morning. Unbelievable." Wufei muttered while walking out of the room, leaving the three pilots behind to ponder on the situation.  
  
  
  
The senshi were dead. They were all dead, except for her. Rei stood at the spot where one of the front gates of Crystal Tokyo would have been. She had uncovered the remains of Mamoru and Chibi-Usa moments ago, and Usagi was no where to be found. She had failed her duties as a sailor senshi to protect. She had failed, and she had failed miserably.  
  
'Rei.'  
  
Rei stiffened instinctively as she heard her name, except this time, it wasn't Minako. She swung her head around, searching for the source. Was someone else alive?  
  
'Rei.'  
  
No, the voice wasn't spoken. It was in her head. She was simply imagining it.  
  
'Rei, it's me.'  
  
"Pluto?" She cried out in utter dismay. "Where are you?!"  
  
'Come to me, Rei. Come to me.'  
  
The fire senshi whirled around in a circle, all the while searching for anything that remotely resembled the Senshi of Time.  
  
"I don't know where you are!"  
  
'Concentrate. Follow my voice.'  
  
Rei set out a bit hesitantly, trusting her feet and Setsuna to guide her. After a short walk, she found herself standing on part of the remains of the East Wing, but still, there was no sign of Setsuna.  
  
"Rei." Rei whirled around and caught a glimpse of evergreen buried under debris.  
  
"Mars help me," she murmured before running to her friend's side, trying to lift the debris off of her.  
  
"It's useless." Setsuna muttered weakly, watching her friend fall on her butt from the effort. "Rei, listen carefully. You have to find Usagi."  
  
"She's alive?!"  
  
The Guardian of Time nodded her head ever so slightly. "He transported her to a different timeline. I'm not sure where. I don't know if he even knows where he sent her. These things are-difficult to gauge exactly. You must find her. Protect her."  
  
"How? You know I can't teleport without the help of the others. And who is He?" Rei was bursting with questions, but she managed to put her curiosity on hold.  
  
Setsuna laughed sadly, closing her eyes to rest from the effort. Before she could give Rei any alarm, she opened them again. "He knew what He was doing from the start. He didn't take Usagi out of the picture for no reason. He knew. I should have seen His coming. I cannot believe he eluded my vigil."  
  
"Setsuna, how do I find Usagi?" The time senshi was rambling, and from the looks of it, she did not have much time left.  
  
"Take the garnet orb. It will allow you to cross the timelines as if you were me. You will have complete access to the past, present, and the future."  
  
Realization hit Rei full force. If she had access to the past and the present, couldn't she-  
  
"No, you must not change what has happened," Setsuna murmured, as if reading her thoughts. "This happened for a reason. You must not change the timeline any more than it has been. You must find Usagi. Undoubtedly He will be searching for her, too."  
  
"But how?"  
  
"Once you activate the orb, you will be swept away from this realm into a nonexistent one. From there, you will be able to view all timelines as you wish. You will have less than ten minutes to pinpoint Usagi's location, but you must not teleport there directly. I have no doubt He will track you. You must not lead him to Usagi. You must create a decoy. Jump through as many dimensions as you can, and stay there as long as possible before entering Usagi's new dimension.  
  
"I cannot guarantee He will not find you, but that should at least by you some time. You must train, for if He finds you, you will need all the skill you can get. I only hope you will be prepared for Him."  
  
"Who is He?"  
  
She shook her head. "There's no time. You must leave now, before He returns."  
  
Rei nodded mutely before grabbing the Time Staff and trying to pull it out from under the debris. As hard as she tugged, it would not budge. She glanced at her friend in despair.  
  
"All you need is the orb."  
  
"I can't. If I separate it, you'll-you'll-" She could not bring herself to finish the sentence.  
  
"Yes. It must be done. For the sake of Serenity, go."  
  
"Farewell, Setsuna." Rei removed the orb from the staff, and as she did so, Setsuna closed her eyes for the very last time.  
  
  
  
Rei shot up in bed. She seemed to be doing that quite often lately, but with valid reasons. The sudden influx of her memories of the past in the form of her dreams was bothering her. What did it take for a night of peaceful, relaxing sleep? With a small frown, she realized she had not changed into her pajamas, and with that realization, events from the previous night flooded her mind.  
  
She flushed scarlet as she recalled what had happened, or at least what she could remember happened. The blonde, who was the blonde? She had never acted so capriciously before, but at that time, it had felt so right. She remembered thinking she was back in the Silver Millenium when she had been head over heels in love with Jadeite, and he had returned her affections with equal, if not more, fervor.  
  
The blonde had bore an uncanny resemblance to her former lover. Maybe that was why she had acted so . . . so unlike herself. She could not recall how she had ended up in the alley or how Heero appeared at the club, but she could remember how he had kicked the crap out of the blonde. And for what reason? Surely he had to know that people kissed all the time. And it wasn't as if the blonde was forcing himself onto her, she recalled with a slight blush.  
  
'He was probably just worried,' a small voice in the farthest region of her mind whispered to her. Heero, worried? It was unheard of. Heero had to be the most composed, stoic man she had ever met, excluding Trowa that is. Those two were such an enigma, one that she doubted she would ever figure out. Besides, what was it that Duo had said once? Heero had no emotions? Or at least it was something along those lines. She found it impossible not to have any emotions.  
  
She blushed again as she thought of Heero, as embarrassment overcame her. Having Heero see her in such a compromising situation did not help her reputation with the five men who had been more than generous too her. 'Well, maybe four,' she mused silently. 'Wufei doesn't count.' She could only hope Heero had not related the matter to the others, especially not to Quatre, who found propriety so important. And what did Heero think of her? Not that it mattered, her mind quickly added. She could only hope he did not think she was some common slut.  
  
  
  
After she was done brushing her teeth and changing her attire, she headed out of her room and decided to check up on Usagi. It had been more than a day since she had last seen her queen, and it was about time she awakened. As Rei approached her room, she felt somewhat relieved Rashid was not at the door to deny her entrance. Could that mean Usagi was well? Was her queen completely healed?  
  
She could hear laughter and then voices. It sounded like Quatre was in there with Usagi. A small grin played across her lips. Under any other circumstances, the two of them would make such an adorable couple. She let out a small sigh as she heard more laughter; Quatre was such a miracle worker. He barely even knew Usagi, and here he was trying to cheer her up, to help her cope with the loss of Mamoru and Chibi-Usa. She paused by the door, not wanting to interrupt their moment. Besides, from what she could hear, Quatre was having no qualms about keeping Usagi company.  
  
"I haven't laughed so hard for such a long time." Quatre's soft voice floated to her ears.  
  
"Indeed," Usagi answered, the mirth obvious in the tone of her voice. "I can't wait to meet this Duo you keep telling me about."  
  
"I would be glad to introduce you to him, but right now, I have to help you try to remember who Rei is, and the rest of your past."  
  
What was that? Rei stared at the narrow crack in the doorway in disbelief. Had she heard correctly? Usagi didn't remember her? It couldn't be. They had lived together for countless of years. She had died trying to protect Usagi.  
  
"Must we? I've tried so hard. It seems impossible to remember who she is, or who I am. I wish I could just listen to more of your stories."  
  
Without realizing it, Rei slumped into the door, causing it to swing open and reveal herself to the two blondes inside. Under any other circumstance, the look on Quatre's face would have been priceless.  
  
Quatre jumped out of his seat, his eyes glued to Rei, all the while silently cursing himself for his carelessness. The pain emanating from her hit him full force, nearly knocking him back down. Fortunately for him, he had long since learned to control his empathic abilities.  
  
"Usagi, do you not know who I am?" Her whisper was so soft even he had to strain to hear it. He watched as she glanced uncertainly at him before focusing back on Rei.  
  
"R-Rei?" She spoke uncertainly.  
  
For a moment, Rei's heart leaped at the thought her queen remembered, but one look into her sapphire eyes betrayed her hope. Her queen did not remember. She did not remember the countless of times she had snuck her to meet Endymion when it was forbidden to have any form of contact with Terrans. She didn't remember how she had died trying to protect her from Beryl, or the numerous times they had stolen cookies from Makoto when the brunette wasn't looking.  
  
She didn't remember.  
  
"Rei, let me explain." Quatre murmured quickly, hoping to resolve the situation. Even with his skills, he couldn't block out the pain. The look on her face said it all. He could feel as if her heart was being ripped into small pieces and smashed with a hammer.  
  
She stumbled backwards, profusely shaking her head. He could see the tears welling at the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall. Usagi stared back, unable to soothe her friend's pain. Try as she might, she just couldn't remember.  
  
"N-N-No, it-it's n-not. . . I m-mean, I-" She turned and fled the room, but not before Quatre caught a glimpse of the twin trail of tears sweeping down her cheeks. She nearly slammed into the door but at the last second managed to dodge it before disappearing out of sight.  
  
"I'm sorry," Usagi whispered, tears forming in her own eyes at the thought of causing someone so much pain.  
  
Quatre ran a hand through his hair, wanting to go after Rei but not wanting to leave Usagi like this. "It's not your fault you can't remember," he reassured, pulling her into a hug. "Don't worry, she will understand once she gets over the initial shock."  
  
"B-But I haven't tried hard enough. If I had tried hard enough, I would have remembered something, even if it's just a figment of my past."  
  
"Don't say that. Amnesia can't be controlled that easily, especially since you have had such a hard time. It's not your fault, okay? We'll work some more when I get back, but right now I need to find Rei to explain. Will you be okay by yourself? I can send Rashid or someone to look after you."  
  
Usagi shook her head. "N-No, I'll be okay. I'll just wait here for you. Would you please tell her I'm sorry? I really do want to remember."  
  
"I'm sure she knows that, but I'll relay the message just in case." He slowly released her before heading out the door to look for Rei.  
  
  
  
Rei tore down the hallway with senshi speed. Half blinded by tears, she could hardly see where she was going. She turned at random corners and ran down a flight of stairs before nearly slamming into an obscure door. She pulled open the door and without a second thought, ran inside towards the farthest corner of the room. On any other given day, Rei would have been astounded at what the room contained, for there were five majestic robots that stood in the spacious room, but today, she barely acknowledged their presence.  
  
All she knew was that Usagi had no idea who she was. Rei had lost the one person she could talk to, the one person she could share her pain with, the one person who could answer her questions about who their enemy was. How was Rei to protect her if she didn't know whom she was dealing with? And most importantly, how could she count on Usagi to defend herself, or to summon the Crystal?  
  
For months, Rei had remained strong, intent on finding Usagi. When she did, she had felt the utmost relief to find her queen alive. Then the catatonic state, and now this? It was all too much for her to handle, even if she was the senshi of war. She had not allowed herself to grieve in hopes of she and Usagi being able to grieve together. She had set aside her life, all for what? The most important person in her life couldn't even remember who she was, not even after all they had been through. Some logical part of her mind told her it was not Usagi's fault, but right now, she was beyond reason. She was bitter and more than just upset.  
  
Rei hid in the shadows of one of the robots, in the farthest end of the room. She collapsed to the ground and curled up in a small ball, slowly rocking back and forth as she tried to deal with the aching feeling pounding in her heart. The tears would not stop falling, and she knew better than to try to stop them. Screw being strong. She was sick and tired of keeping her emotions in check. She was sick of having to carry the duties of all the other senshi. She was sick of it all. All she wanted was a normal life, a life without the excruciating pain she was experiencing now.  
  
  
  
It had been nearly two hours since Quatre had informed the entire household about Rei's encounter with Usagi. Needless to say, many of them were concerned for Rei's welfare, for they had taken a liking to her. The entire mansion had been searched, but there was no sign of Rei at all. It was as if she had just disappeared like a ghost. They had checked the garage; no cars were missing. The hanger had also been checked, but there was simply no sign of Rei anywhere.  
  
Currently Quatre and a few other Maganacs were out driving about searching for the raven haired beauty, just in case she had run out on impulse to get away from the house. Needless to say, they were all worried she would do something rash. Even Wufei helped with the search, but he remained under the pretense that he didn't care, especially with his constant mumbling about 'all this commotion for just an onna.'  
  
Even though the hanger had been checked, Trowa had decided to check it again. He swung open the door and looked around. Nothing. The brunette let out a small sigh of frustration. He was about to head back upstairs again when he decided to check up on his Gundam. It would only take a few minutes, and he was already here anyway. So why not? The others would understand if he took a quick breather from the search.  
  
He headed for his Gundam, silently wondering why he had landed his Gundam all the way at the far end of the hanger. Wing Zero was closest to the door. Figures, Trowa mused silently, Heero would have the best spot. He stood before Heavy Arms Kai and inspected it with satisfaction; the Maganacs were immaculate when it came to the Gundams. He was just about to head back when he heard a small sniffle. Trowa whirled around, wondering if it had been a figment of his imagination.  
  
No, there it was again. Someone was in here, behind his Gundam. He headed back around the Gundam, and sure enough, he found Rei curled up in a ball behind the foot of Heavy Arms Kai. Sympathy flooded his eyes as he leaned down to help her up. It had been a long time since he, himself, had experienced such unbearable pain, but there had been a time.  
  
"Rei," he whispered softly, causing her to look up at him. He felt his heart break at the sight of her eyes. Her gorgeous amethyst orbs were glossed over by tears, and her eyes were pink and puffy.  
  
"Go away," she pleaded, lowering her head to the ground again. He sat down next to her, trying to pull her close to him. She didn't fight him, but she didn't move either.  
  
"I can't do that." He gently scooped her up and pulled her into his lap. She sniffed, all the while keeping her face from his sight.  
  
"Yes you can," she mumbled, not wanting anyone to see her in such a dire state. Minako would have called this a life or death emergency. She burst into a fresh wrack of sobs as she thought of her golden-haired friend.  
  
Trowa pressed her head to him with one hand and used the other to encircle her waist and hold her tightly. He tried to soothe her, whispering reassurances into her ear. He could feel her body tremble from the effort of trying not to cry. He knew what it was like to be in so much pain, and there was no way he was going to let her experience it all without someone by her side to help her cope.  
  
"It really isn't the end of the world. She will remember eventually." He murmured, gently stroking her hair at the same time.  
  
"Yes it is." Her voice was muffled by his sweater, which she had soaked with her tears.  
  
He tilted her head upward so that she was looking up at him. "No, it's not. What's important is that she is alive and well. Her memories will return sooner or later." He watched as tears welled up in her eyes again. This time, he gently brushed them away with this thumb before they could fall. He marveled at the softness of her skin, well aware of the aching in his heart, a longing he dared not indulge in.  
  
Rei sniffed again, all the while staring into his emerald eye. She had calmed down considerably, thanks to the massive catharsis that had lasted hours. Curiosity prevailed on her now. With a small hand, she slowly reached up to brush his hair aside so that she could see him with both eyes. She had half expected to see a scar, or something that marred his perfect features and would give him reason to hide, but she found none. She stared at him, mesmerized by the brilliancy of emerald.  
  
Trowa gazed back, entranced by how magnificent an amethyst her eyes remained. He had seen her hand reaching up towards his face, and he had immediately known she was going to brush his bangs aside, but he made no move to stop her like he would have if it had been any other person. She was the first to see him with both eyes, especially for so long.  
  
"Why do you hide yourself?" She whispered, searching his eyes for an answer.  
  
"Because I am ashamed of my past," he whispered back. Seeing the question lying in her eyes, he gave her a rueful smile. "Perhaps one day I will tell you, but now is not the time."  
  
"You have gorgeous eyes," she murmured somewhat drowsily. "You shouldn't hide them." His eyes widened as she kissed him on the cheek, letting her mouth linger there for a moment before drawing back. She pulled her hand back, allowing his hair to fall back in place before cuddling closer to him, seeking shelter in his warmth.  
  
"Thank you, Trowa."  
  
  
  
"Trowa! Where have you been?!" Quatre looked frantic with worry. "We still haven't found Rei yet."  
  
The brunette cut him off before Quatre could ramble on. "Don't worry, I found her in the hanger. She was hiding behind my Gundam. She's in her room resting right now."  
  
"In the hanger?!" Wufei echoed. "That means she's seen them! Our cover!"  
  
Quatre shot him an irritated look. "We will worry about that tomorrow. Thank Allah she is alright. I was worried she was going to do something drastic. You said she was resting? Good, no one is to disturb her. Now excuse me, I need to check on Usagi. I suggest you all get some rest now that we know Rei is safe."  
  
  
  
Morning came a lot sooner than expected. All five pilots were waiting downstairs for Rei to come down, wanting to set things straight. Now that she knew about the Gundams, there was going to be a lot of explaining to do, from both sides. Rei came down after breakfast had been served, looking as great as ever. The only sign of her distraught from the day before was the slight puffiness in her eyes.  
  
"I guess we need to talk," she murmured softly, taking a seat in the vacant armchair. "How about you answer all of my questions first, and then I'll answer all of yours?" When they nodded their consent, she continued, "Those things in the hanger, what are they?"  
  
"They're Gundams, fighting machines capable of mass destruction. They were built by the colonies to fight Oz."  
  
"What's Oz?"  
  
"Oz is an organization that has sought to dominate both Earth and the colonies. They are corrupted by ambition and power."  
  
Rei nodded slowly, trying to digest all the information. "How long have you been fighting?"  
  
"Years." So they were like her, without a childhood, without a normal life, except they fought in machines.  
  
"Your turn."  
  
Duo was the first to ask a question, all the while shooting a meaningful look at Wufei. "Do you work for Oz?"  
  
"Oz? Of course not! How could I work for Oz if I only learned about it a few seconds ago?" Wufei scowled at Duo's triumphant glance at him.  
  
"How did you get here?"  
  
Rei sighed. Leave it to Heero to ask the question with the hardest answer. "It's a long story, so make yourselves comfortable. My name is Hino Rei, but I am also known as Sailor Mars. In an alternate time I was also a Princess, but that's beside the point right now. I, along with six other senshi, defend the Moon Princess and the world from evil. I come from an alternate timeline where there are evil monsters with magical powers.  
  
"Our home, Crystal Tokyo, was recently destroyed by an unknown enemy. He seeks to find Usagi and destroy her. I was hoping she would be able to provide some answers, but that is doubtful now." Seeing the doubtful expressions on their faces, she added, "I realize this is quite difficult to believe, so I thought I would show you what a sailor senshi looks like.  
  
"MARS CRYSTAL POWER!"  
  
The five pilots gawked in awe as flames danced around her, transforming her into a strange outfit in a matter of seconds. She was still the same person, or so they thought, except in a different attire. Duo let out a low whistle as his eyes slowly traveled up her creamy legs.  
  
"In this form, I have the ability to control fire. For the sake of Quatre's house, I don't think a demonstration is necessary. My friends were also able to control the elements. Venus controlled light energy, Jupiter wielded thunder, Mercury exerted ice, Uranus also controlled a form of energy, Neptune had power over water, Saturn was the Senshi of Destruction, and lastly, Pluto was the Guardian of Time."  
  
"So you're saying magic is possible?" Quatre asked slowly, as his mind worked furiously to accept what he had just been told.  
  
"It is very possible."  
  
"Wait, so I am right to assume Usagi is this Moon Princess you speak of?" Duo asked hesitantly as he treaded on a topic that was completely foreign to him.  
  
"Correct."  
  
"Are you any good? At fighting?" Wufei asked cautiously, curious to see what she was capable of.  
  
Rei smirked. "I kick ass."  
  
"Well then, I suppose I should inform you that we have a training room in the west wing. Perhaps you would like to make use of it sometime?" Quatre offered her. She flashed him a small smile and thanked him.  
  
"Hey maybe she can help us out! With Oz, I mean." Duo suggested as the thought struck him. "How often do you get someone who can fight with fire working on your side?"  
  
"No way, it's too dangerous." Heero objected immediately. He did not like the idea of Rei fighting among raging gunfire.  
  
Rei scowled at him. She never did like people counting her out because they thought she couldn't handle the situation. She ignored Heero and turned to Duo.  
  
"I think I may just take you up on your offer."  
  
  
  
Rei was thankful Quatre had enough sense to build a training room, but then again, it was probably a necessity, especially for a household of males. She had always found training, next to crying, one of the best ways to release her emotions. And right now, being all alone in the room, she did not have to worry about injuring anyone.  
  
It was just past one when Rei had decided to head over to the training room. Sleep was completely out of the question, especially when Rei was mad. No, she was furious. The majority of her anguish had faded away into anger, and as she had discovered long ago, anger was a potent remedy. She was angry at Fate for throwing her into a situation like this, angry that she had been unable to grieve for the loss of her friends until now, angry that she still had to worry about some bastard running around trying to destroy Usagi, angry that the one person her world revolved around couldn't even remember her.  
  
Rei let out a shuddering sigh as she slowly wrapped the protective gauze around her knuckles and palm, making sure it was thinker than usual, before sliding the black punching gloves on. If only the punching bag was Fate, oh how she would love to give it a beating. Rei positioned her hands in front of her face by her jaw in the traditional boxer postion before attacking the punching bag with a vengeance with a flurry of kicks and punches. The world around her disappeared as she focused on her target. It was just her and the punching bag.  
  
  
  
Heero watched her from the doorway, silently admiring her physique under the cold, fluorescent lighting. He had headed for the training room for his usual training sessions at his usual time after midnight, only to realize someone had beaten him to the room. Rei. He eyed the punching bag with sympathy as Rei continued to attack it like a starved dog eating a steak. The bag was swinging in all directions from Rei's punches. That was how hard she was hitting it.  
  
She was dressed only in a sports bra and loose, black pants. Her hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, allowing him a full view of her creamy back. Sweat glistened across her body, a sign of how long she had been in there. He knew from personal experience that her hands should be hurting like hell. If she didn't stop soon, she could inflict unnecessary damage to herself. He strode across the room to her and gently grabbed her by the waist to pull her back. She swung around with a left hook, one that nearly connected with his jaw.  
  
Seeing that it was only Heero, she checked her other punch. Not that it would have mattered. He would have blocked it anyway. She scowled at him, angry he had interrupted her one sided attack on Fate.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She asked irritably, wanting nothing more than to turn back and inflict another flurry of attacks on the bag.  
  
"Making sure you don't kill yourself."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "There. As you can see, I am perfectly alright. Now you can leave." She turned back to the bag and started to punch it again, only to have him grab her arm. Before she could even protest, he took off the glove, revealing blood stains against the white wrap. "What are you doing?!"  
  
He ignored her and took off her other glove, revealing identical blood stains where her knuckles were. He quickly unwrapped the gauze from her hands, revealing bruised and bloody knuckles. Rei watched as he grabbed a first aid kit and a towel, wiping off the blood before trying to tend to her hands.  
  
"I don't need you helping me," she muttered angrily, her temper escalating. She was still pissed as hell, and this interruption was not making things any better. "I'm not a weakling."  
  
"I never said you were."  
  
"Then quit treating me as if I were! You could have told me Usagi had amnesia! How long have you known, huh?!"  
  
Before reason could enter her mind, she attacked him with a right cross, not caring if her knuckles were injured or not. Luckily for her, and for him, his reflexes were fast enough to block her blows. He had to admit, she was quit good, but her anger was making her technique somewhat sloppier than what he imagined it would normally be. He remained on the defensive, blocking her blows while hoping she would see it was futile to attack him. No such luck.  
  
Seeing an opening, he seized it. He grabbed her arm and twisted it back, drawing a small gasp from her as a sense of pain shot through her arm. Heero was careful not to use too much force. He stood directly behind her, gazing down at her with an inner fire that could match her own. Seeing that she had calmed down somewhat, he let her go, only to have her whirl around and try a jump spinning heel kick on him. Any martial artist would have known the kick was practically useless at such a close range, but she wasn't thinking straight. He caught her in mid air before tossing her down on the ground. Any other person would have been slammed down, hard.  
  
What he wasn't expecting was for her lower leg to hook around his own, bringing him crashing down on top of her. He was the first to recover, grabbing her wrists and pinning her arms above her head before positioning himself on top of her so that her legs were rendered useless against him. She struggled against him tooth and nail, but it was evident her efforts were futile. He was just too strong.  
  
She stopped squirming and laid there on the mat, staring up at him. She could see the hunger in his icy blue eyes, hunger that was directed at her. A small tingle shot down her spine, causing her to shiver slightly. He hovered above her, only mere inches above. Gods, why did she have to be so beautiful?  
  
Rei watched as his gaze lowered down to her lips, as it lingered there for a moment before sweeping back up to meet her eyes. Mars help her, he was just so irrestible! And those eyes . . . she felt like she could gaze into them forever. Such passion, was it all for her? He had looked at her like that before, back at the club. She had thought it had been her imagination playing tricks, but now this. This was real. His thumb gently trailed along the side of her face before gently brushing against her soft lips. She could see him struggling to restrain himself. The strain was evident on his face.  
  
"Heero," she murmured huskily.  
  
That was the last straw.  
  
The Perfect Soldier gave into temptation; her lips were just too irresistible. He seized her lips with his own, silencing her soft sigh. The kiss never got the chance to start out slow and sweet. He plundered her mouth merciless, savoring her sweetness with an insatiable thirst. His hand cupped her face, tilting it so that he could gain better access into her mouth. He continued to deepen the kiss insistently, his tongue exploring the sweet caverns of her mouth. His other hand caressed her body as she buried her hands into his hair.  
  
"Heero."  
  
  
  
= = = = = = = = = = =  
  
Well, that's it folks! Was that too fast? Too slow? Too mushy? Let me know!  
  
Okay, now for the promised explanation. Someone (if you don't know who, you'll find out later) was playing mind games with Rei, making her think she was back in the Silver Millenium kissing Jadeite, her lover when in fact she was kissing this blonde that looks like Jadeite. Further explanations about that scene will come beginning of next chapter. If you really really want to know or have questions, email me and I will be happy to answer them.  
  
The reason why I am not telling you all now is because it spoils the plot, so that's why. I apologize if this explanation only served to confuse you further!  
  
-m. 


	7. Chapter 5

Omg I am sooo sorry this took so long to get out. I promise to try to get the next chapters out sooner, it's just that I have been so busy! I appreciate all of you who are patiently waiting and have offered encouragement. 

There is one thing about the last chapter that I didn't like, and it was that I rushed the explanation of Rei being a senshi, so I have rectified that in the beginning of this chapter. Thank you _Princess Ren_ for bringing it to my attention.

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Dedications:

Icyfire: Yes you can! Let me know when you post!

lol: I'm glad you liked the chapter. There will definitely be more Trowa/Rei scenes.

Princess Ren: Hehe, sorry about the cliffy. As always your comments are highly considered, and thanks for pointing out the fast explanation in the last chapter. After reading it again I decided to rectify it in this chapter. Thanks again!

Joanna: Thanks for the R/R! Glad you liked it!

babeof01and05+trunks: Thanks for the review!! Keep up w/ your stories!

Dragon Lady: Thank you so much!

Alitheria: There will definitely be Trowa scenes. Lots of Trowa scenes. If not in this chapter, then in upcoming ones.

thescientist: Ahhhh, update your story!! Please?

Nyneve the Sorceress: Wow, your review made me so happy! Thank you thank you!! *beams happily*

DragonStar: I'm glad you like the Trowa scene. And yes, it seems like Rei will have a difficult time choosing between the two. (Gosh I wish I had that problem!)

IsleofSolitude: Don't worry, I know exactly how you feel about school work. Keep up with your stories so I have something to read!

firenze: Thanks!! *smiles*

Priscilla: As always, your comments are so highly valued! I just hope you post your next chapter sometime soon . . .I'm dying for some Zechs/Rei/Heero action. 

:) : You don't sound selfish! 

Heerosgurl: You're welcome! And thank you for the R/R and comments!

Chibi-chan: I hope you like this chapter! 

lost little angel: Thanks so much for the compliment! *smiles*

HeeroYuy13: Thanks for the R/R!!

WindRider-Damia: Lol, thanks for your suggestions! Who knows, if Wufei doesn't start showing some respect, Rei just might have to teach him a lesson.

Fire's Tears: I'm glad you like my story! And yes, they do go well together, huh?

WikeD tEnShI: Thanks for the compliment, and sorry for the slow update!

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All standard disclaimers apply.

She Walks In Beauty: Chapter 5 

By: miyaka

The next morning, Quatre had decided to call another meeting because there were still too many unanswered questions, especially about Rei's and Usagi's past. Rei's cursory explanation yesterday only served to arouse their curiosity and add more questions to the already long list. He also wished for Usagi to be present at the meeting, hoping that Rei's explanation might jog her memory. Of course, he wanted to make sure Rei was okay with the notion. So when it was nearly lunch and Rei hadn't come down yet, he sent Trowa to see if she was alright.

Rei was in the middle of changing when she heard a soft knock on her door. "Coming!" She called as she pulled on a pair of jeans and headed towards the door. "Trowa!"

"Morning Rei. Are you—feeling okay?"

Rei managed a small smile before opening her door wider. "Better, I guess. Would you like to come in? I'm almost ready."

Before he could stop himself, Trowa felt himself nodding. He cleared his throat as he watched Rei head for her dresser and pick up a brush. "Quatre wants to hold another meeting about you being Sailor Mars. There are still a lot of questions we want to ask you." He paused before adding, "He also hopes it will be okay if Usagi is present." He watched as she stiffened visibly and he felt his heart go out to her. 

"I-I guess that will be okay. M-Maybe it'll help her remember." Rei bit her lip to keep herself from crying out. "T-Tell the others I'll be right down."

Trowa nodded, taking his cue to leave. "We'll be waiting for you in Quatre's study." He cast a sympathetic glance towards her before heading out of the room.

Quatre watched as his blonde guest paced back and forth across the study. It was a never ending cycle, one that was making him dizzy. She would sit down for a few seconds, shoot back up, start pacing again, sit back down, and start the whole cycle again.

"Sit down, onna! You're going to make me sea sick!" Wufei growled in annoyance, ignoring the reprimanding look Quatre sent him.

Usagi mumbled a quick apology and instead of getting up to pace, she started wringing her hands for all they were worth. "What's taking her so long? D-Does she not want to see me? Maybe I should leave-"

"Don't you know?" Duo asked with a sly smile before waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "She had a late night with Heero!"

All eyes settled on Heero at once, and no one noticed Trowa's sudden change in expression before his face returned to its normal, impassive expression. Inside, however, his mind was whirling. She was with Heero? Did she like him? Why hadn't he seen this coming? 

Before Heero could defend himself, Rei walked into the room.

Heero watched as she entered the room, her eyes avoiding him and Usagi. She was just as gorgeous as ever, even in the simple tank top and jeans she was wearing. This morning when Heero had woken up, he had felt like he was high. High on her. A part of him, however, was disgusted that he had let himself lose control over a woman, when he, the Perfect Soldier, was supposed to have no weaknesses. If he was so infallible, then why was he craving her every touch, her scent, her sweet kisses? Why was he craving to spend every waking moment with her, when he didn't know a thing about her?

Wufei would call him weak, and the sexist pilot would be right. He was weak, and she was his weakness. Heero scowled as he attempted to push his thoughts out of his head. He would settle this later, but first, he wanted to hear more about her past.

Rei kept her eyes away from everyone, especially from the only other female in the room and from a certain brunette with inquisitive Prussian blue eyes. She managed a brief smile to no one in particular before taking the only available spot, right in between Duo and Trowa. She was so preoccupied with the thought of being in the same room as Usagi that she didn't notice Trowa stiffen ever so slightly as she sat down next to him.

Quatre cleared his throat before flashing her a reassuring smile. "Good morning, Rei. I hope you don't mind if you start over, from the very beginning. I think it will do us all some good to hear your account from the beginning."

Rei nodded her head before sucking in a deep breath. Where should she start? The Silver Millennium? That would take too long, but Quatre did say he wanted her to start from the beginning. 

"This is going to take a while, so feel free to cut in when you have questions. It all started in an era known as the Silver Millennium, a time of peace and prosperity. The head of the Silver Millennium was Queen Serenity, Usagi's mother. Because Usagi was next in line to the throne and the next wielder of the Imperium Silver Crystal, Queen Serenity arranged for an Inner Court, which consisted of me and three other princesses."

"Wait, what is the Crystal thingy?" Duo asked, scratching his head. "Is it like the Hope Diamond or something?"

Rei bit back a smile. It was so like Duo to think the Crystal was merely a piece of jewelry. "No, Duo, the Crystal is actually a weapon, an extremely powerful weapon. But I'll get to that later. As I was saying, the Inner Court consisted of Princesses Minako of Venus, who was also our leader, me, Makoto of Jupiter, and Ami of Mercury. We were given special powers that could only be activated when we transformed, which I already demonstrated yesterday.

"Minako had control over light and energy, Makoto over thunder and lightning, and Ami over ice, and as you know, I have control over fire. And Usagi, you-you have the ability to transform into Sailor Moon, with the control over the Moon's powers. You were also engaged to Prince Endymion of Earth, and the senshi and I were also engaged to one of his four generals. But before anyone could actually get married, Queen Beryl attacked. The senshi and I were too weak to counter her power and died trying. Queen Serenity summoned the power of the Crystal to defeat Beryl, and using the last of her strength, sent us to Earth to be reborn. But Beryl was also sent to Earth, and our battles started all over again.

"We fought enemy after enemy, dying several times before being reborn, growing stronger and stronger each time. Finally we defeated Galaxia, our last enemy, and descended into Crystal Tokyo. Usagi became Neo-Queen Serenity, ruler of Crystal Tokyo. She and Mamoru were officially married, who in his past life was Prince Endymion, and she gave birth to Chibi-Usa."

"I have a daughter and a husband," Usagi murmured in wonder, so engrossed in the new knowledge that she didn't notice the shocked expression on Quatre's face.

Rei swallowed, not wanting to continue. Mustering her courage, she began, "For a while, everything was perfect. Crystal Tokyo was a utopia. Since there wasn't anything ominous, and Pluto didn't see anything wrong with the timeline-"

"Who's Pluto?"

"Pluto is--was the Senshi of Time. She, Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru were the Outer Senshi. They were considerably stronger than us, especially since during the Silver Millennium they were supposed to protect the outer borders of the galaxy. Setsuna, Pluto, has--had the power to see the future, the present, and the past. With that ability came the power to travel through time lines. Haruka was the leader of the Outer Senshi. As Sailor Uranus, she had the power over wind, and her spouse, Michiru, was Sailor Neptune, who had the power of water. The two of them were the adopted parents of Hotaru, Sailor Saturn. Hotaru was the most dangerous senshi of us all, and the youngest. She had the power to destroy the Earth, but only if she was willing to sacrifice herself in the process."

Rei paused, blinking away her tears. Once she regained her composure, she continued again. "I wanted to expand my spiritual powers as a priestess, so I returned back to my temple, or what was left of it, back on Mars. So I stayed on Mars to train. At the end of a month, my sixth sense was telling me something was terribly wrong. I immediately teleported back to Earth, only to find Crystal Tokyo in ruins.

"I-I found the senshi, Minako first. S-She had no idea Crystal Tokyo was destroyed and thought--" Rei took a deep breath before moving onto a different thought, not wanting to relate the blonde's last moments in her arms to the others. "I found Setsuna next, or actually, she led me to her. How? I'm not sure, but I think she did it telepathically. When I found her, she explained to me that the Royal Family had been slain, and t-that the Enemy had sent Usagi somewhere at the beginning of the battle. That bastard! He knew exactly what he was doing. He took the Cystal out of the mix, which meant that the senshi had nothing to fall back on if they were to fail. Pluto asked me to take the Garnet Orb and track Usagi down and protect her from the enemy. But the Garnet Orb was the only thing keeping her alive, which meant that as soon as I took it, S-Set-Setunsa--"

Rei shut her eyes just as Duo wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into a hug. She managed a grateful smile, thankful for his comfort. She swallowed hard, regained her composure, and continued, "And after months of searching, jumping around in timelines, I ended up here. The rest you know."

The silence that ensued was deafening. No one knew what to say, especially now that they had the full story. Even Wufei, who had been ready to mutter some quick remark about weak onnas, found the comment inappropriate and decided to keep his mouth shut out of respect. Of course, he would never admit that in public. Quatre was the first to recover his wits from her narrative. From what he could decipher, this enemy was dangerous, especially if it managed to take down the senshi, whom had spent their entire lives training and fighting. And he especially didn't like the fact that it was coming after Usagi.

"Do you know who is responsible?"

Rei shook her head. "No, except Pluto referred to the enemy as a 'he'." 

"We'll just have to keep an extra eye out for anything unnatural. Hopefully the Gundams will be enough to stop this unknown enemy." The blonde sighed before leaning back into his leather chair, a worried expression marring his angelic features.

"Gundams?" Rei asked, testing out the foreign word. "Are those the robots in the hanger?"

Wufei growled, not at all liking the sudden turn of the conversation. He still didn't know what to make of everything, especially the fact that the two women were from an alternate universe.

"Robots? They're actually more like mobile suits, and we happen to be the pilots," Duo stated proudly, before adding, "and my Gundam happens to be the best, without a doubt. 

"Altron can cremate your Deathscythe any day."

Before another feud could erupt between the two men, Quatre jumped in. "Duo, would you please see if Dr. V is available? And if he is, could you ask him if we could stop by? I have a feeling that he can offer the best explanation."

Duo nodded and reluctantly moved his arm away from Rei before exiting the room. The silence that ensued was broken by the sound of Usagi's stomach growling loudly.

"Sorry," she murmured meekly. "I guess my stomach is pretty hungry."

Rei couldn't help but let a bittersweet smile spread across her features. Apparently some things never changed. Usagi could never skip a single meal, and if she did, her stomach would always complain about the lack of food.

"Trowa, would you mind seeing if lunch is ready yet? Thank you." The brunette acknowledged and stiffly stood up, eager to leave the room. He quickly excused himself before disappearing out the doorway.

"With luck, we will have all questions answered by the end of this day. Now, I do have a few matters I would like to discuss with Rei alone. If you all would please excuse us." As the others began to file out, he added, "Usagi, I will be right with you."

The blonde girl nodded before stepping outside with the others. As soon as they were alone, Rei murmured, "I know what you want me to do, Quatre, but I don't think you know how--hard it is."

"I know you can do it, Rei. The more time you spend with her, the better the chances she will have of remembering. I wouldn't ask, but it's just that I have been neglecting my work lately, and as you can see, it's been accumulating." He motioned to the stack of files that were almost two feet high.

"I know you've been trying to help Usagi remember, and I'm thankful. And I know you are really busy." Rei took a deep, shuddering breath. "I'll try to spend as much time as I can with her, or at least as much time as I can handle."

"Thank you, Rei."

It was mid afternoon when the Gundam pilots received a call back from their earlier inquiry about Dr. V. Apparently Dr. V was now free to see them. Duo had immediately offered to take Rei for a spin in his jeep, and she had gratefully accepted. She really wasn't in the mood to sit in the back of a limousine, especially not with Heero and Usagi in the same car. Little did she know that Duo had an ulterior motive to asking her to ride with him. However, it didn't take long for Rei to realize what his motives were.

"So, " Duo shouted over the blaring music, "What's up with you and Heero? Are you two an item or what?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Rei yelled back. The telltale blush spreading across her cheeks ruined her façade.

"Aww, come on! What's going on between the two of you?!"

"I don't know!" Rei shouted at him, barely getting her voice over the music. And truth be told, she really didn't know what was going on between the two of them. Last night, she had been angry and hurting, and Heero just happened to be there to help ease the pain. Sure, she found him gorgeous and damn sexy, but she couldn't be sure she would have still kissed him if she hadn't been reeling from the news about Usagi. But his kisses . . . they had undoubtedly ignited something inside her. He wanted her, and she needed to feel wanted.

"Sure you don't." Duo's grin was as wide as the Amazon River. "Well, if you ever need any advice about-" He paused and waggled his eyebrows suggestively before continuing, "you know I'm here for you." Rei couldn't help but roll her eyes at the young man's audacious antics. One day some female was going to slap him upside the head, and she would do nothing to stop it.

"It's about time you guys showed up. You really need to tell your driver to speed up, Q." Duo hopped off the front hood of his jeep as Quatre and the others filed out of the limo. He and Rei had been waiting in the hanger for the rest of their companions to arrive for over ten minutes now. Duo had already introduced her to Dr. V, but she had decided to hold off on explanations until the rest of the posse arrived. 

"Going over 100 mph isn't very safe, Duo." Quatre lightly chastised before turning to the elderly man standing next to Rei. "Ah. Dr. V, I see you have already met Rei. Allow me to introduce you to Usagi Tsukino. Usagi, this is Dr. V. I guess you can say he runs the show around here."

After pleasantries were exchanged between the two, Dr. V continued, "I'm afraid I'm a bit confused. Duo's explanation was not very detailed. You two are not from this world, but are warriors from your own world, and you want to know what Gundams are, etc?"

When Rei nodded, Dr. V pressed a hand to his forehead. "Oh my. I'm afraid before I start my explanation, I'm going to have to hear yours. A succinct one, if you will."

So Rei simply summarized her powers in a matter of minutes, leaving everything else out. When Dr. V was satisfied, which was after obtaining blood samples from the two women, he began his explanation of the history of the Gundams. As the minutes went by, the girls learned about the colonies, the Sanc Kingdom, and the endless battle against Oz. They were also shown footage of a battle, allowing them to see what a mobile suit battles was like. Needless to say, both women were stunned. Rei had never seen anything like it before, and she was the Senshi of War.

It was hours later when the group finally left the covert laboratory and headed back to the Winner Mansion. Oz sounded like a dangerous organization, one that would be nearly invincible if properly teamed up. Those thoughts continued to plague Rei's mind as they returned back home.

Usually at night after dinner, Trowa would settle himself in the library and read. Tonight, however, was different. Tonight, Trowa couldn't even get through the first page of the book, and it was all because of a comment Duo had said earlier that day. The brunette couldn't help but frown at that pairing. Yes, he was happy that Heero had finally found someone, but why did it have to be Rei? 

There was no denying it now. He was attracted to her. Hell, he was very attracted to her. Ever since she had set foot in the Winner Mansion, he had found the majority of his thoughts centered around her. She was the most-

"Trowa?" Her soft inquiry snapped him out of his reverie. Speak of the devil. "Are you here?" 

Trowa quickly cleared his throat, getting rid of the huge lump that had formed, before answering, "Over here."

He felt his throat run dry as she slowly approached him, all the while staring at awe at her surroundings. Her hair, which normally hung loosely, had been pulled into two French braids. She was wearing her pajamas: a simple white tank top and loose cotton pants with small teddy bears on it. God, she would still look good with a mo-hawk and dressed in a potato sack.

"I'm sorry, am I bothering you?" Her eyes fell onto the book he was reading.

"No, not at all." He closed the book and set it aside before noticing how she was fidgeting. A small, bitter part of him wondered why she was here instead of being with Heero, but he quickly shoved that thought to the back of his mind.

"I was wondering if maybe you could help me with-with Usagi." Her eyes watered slightly at the mention of the blonde.

Trowa felt his heart twinge at her fragility. He desperately wanted to ask her to come sit with him, but his own pride and the nagging thought of Rei and Heero possibly being together prevented him from asking. Instead, he managed to settle for a brief affirmative. "Of course."

"I really don't mean to be such a hassle, but it's just that I have no one else to talk to, and I remember you saying that you would help me out-" Rei halted in mid sentence as she realized she was babbling. 'Great going Rei,' she mentally chastised.

"Rei, calm down. I'm here to help. Now what about Usagi?" He asked gently, noticing how her countenance became much more somber.

She ducked her head. "Quatre wants me to spend some time with her. He thinks it will help jog her memory. I would ask him to come along, but he's tied down with work. And right now, I just can't--I'm not strong enough to face her all by myself." 

Trowa studied her, his voice serious. "You know that I can't always be the mediator, right? You will have to face her on your own eventually."

Rei glanced up gratefully before nodding her head in understanding. She smiled before tackling him in a hug, catching him by surprise. His eyes widened as his mind slowly registered what was happening. She was hugging him.

"Thank you Trowa." 

"You're welcome." He hesitantly slid his arms around her soft body and pulled her even closer to him, relishing at the physical contact. Her physical contact. For the moment it was just he and she and nothing else. Nothing else mattered. Gods she was perfect.

It was late in the evening, and when most everyone else was in bed, Quatre was still slaving away in his study. He was motivated by his desire to spend more time with Usagi. There was no doubt that he had been shocked out of his wits when Rei had revealed that she was a mother and married already, especially when she looked like she should still be in college. But then again, Rei didn't look like she was a fire senshi who had died several times already. If he hadn't gotten the full story, he would have believed Rei was more super model material than super hero. But alas, he had learned that Fate worked in strange ways. 

Quatre eyed the pile of folders dismally. It seemed to be just as high as it had been hours ago, if not higher. 'Sometimes being the head of the Winner Corporation has its setbacks,' he thought grumpily. He was just about to attack another folder when he heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in." 'Who could it be at this hour?'

The door creaked open, and in peeked Usagi. The sight of her cute head sticking out from the doorway brought a small smile across his features. When she saw him, her expression brightened and she practically waltzed in, carrying a large plate with her. Quatre nearly burst out laughing when he saw that there were only two cookies left on the plate, but managed to check himself in time and ended up making a sound that resembled a cat being strangled.

"Is this what I get for my good intentions?" Usagi huffed indignantly. "I could have eaten them all, you know."

This time, Quatre did laugh. "Of course your efforts are much appreciated. I just wasn't expecting to find two cookies on a plate that fits twenty."

"Hey! They were good cookies!" Usagi protested lightly. "Try them for yourself."

Quatre took a cookie from her and bit into it. She was right on that account. They were delicious. "Yes they are, and thanks for bringing me some."

Usagi smiled her bright, trademark smile. "Don't mention it. Don't stay up too late!" With a quick wave and before Quatre could ask her to stay, she ducked out of the room and disappeared down the hallway. The young blonde sighed, glad for the brief interruption before grabbing the file at the top of the perpetual pile.

The hallway was dimly lit, like it always was at night. Quatre always did try to conserve electricity, and he would have had all lights out, expect for the fact that in the event that people did decide to get out of bed, they wouldn't trip down the stairs or over some furniture and injure themselves. So the hallways were always lit at night, but with just enough lighting to allow people to see where the furniture and stairs were.

Even with the mediocre light, there was no mistaking the figure that was leaning against the wall next to her door. Rei paused slightly, trying to decide what she could do. She was still far enough away to change direction and pray that he didn't see her and risk the chance of him thinking her a chicken and never return to her room, or she could continue on and confront him. 

'Too late now,' Rei thought silently as she watched his head turn towards her. She sucked in a deep breath and continued forward, cursing her karma for the bad luck. 'I'm the Senshi of War. I can handle him.' In a few moments, she was standing next to him.

"H-Heero," She greeted as confidently as she could, all the while avoiding his eyes. Rei sucked in a deep breath before continuing more solidly, "Is there something you needed?"

Instead of answering, he gently took her hands into his and examined them. Rei could feel her insides melting under his gentle inspection and shut her eyes, as if attempting to shut away those feelings. His touch ignited something inside her, something she hadn't felt since Jade-

Rei's eyes snapped open as she jerked her hands back. No, she had been badly scorched before, and there was no way in hell she was going back that same path, especially not since it led to so much pain. Excruciating pain. She couldn't face another problem, not when she was already on the verge of a breakdown. There was no way she could juggle the senshi's deaths, Usagi, the Enemy, and Heero all at the same time. No, she just couldn't do it. She bit her lip as her mind was bombarded with thoughts. 

Where was Trowa when you needed him? 'Back at the library where you left him,' her mind answered, and for a moment, she considered turning on her heels and running back into his comforting arms. Problems seemed to fade when she was with Trowa. But like he had said, Trowa couldn't fight her battles for her. Like Usagi, this was something she had to deal with on her own. But why did it have to be so gosh darn hard?

"Rei, we need-" Heero began, his voice husky. His eyes, however, held a serious glint, among other things, in them.

Rei shook her head, quickly cutting him off. She silently prayed she had the strength to go through with this. "No, Heero. There's nothing to say. What happened last night was a result of all the anger and frustration I was feeling. I'm sorry if I led you on to believe there was something more." She paused, drawing in a deep shuddering breath. 'I can do this. I can do this. Oh Mars, help me.' Rei forced her expression blank before continuing, "I really can't deal with anything close to a relationship right now, and I'm interested in one . . ."

Heero had tuned her out a long time ago, not hearing the words she was spewing. Or maybe, he just didn't want to hear. But she was still talking, even if he wasn't listening to what she was saying because her mouth was still moving. Her full, luscious lips that he had kissed yesterday. He did, however, get the crux of what she was trying to tell him, and he wasn't buying it one bit. There was no way she could walk away from those kisses yesterday, the kisses that had burned him to the core, and say that she didn't feel anything. No, he was going to prove her wrong.

"Are you even listening to me?" She asked indignantly, her eyes searching his. She didn't like the predatory gleam she found there and involuntarily backed up away from the door and away from Heero.

"Tell me you didn't feel anything after I kissed you," he growled huskily as he advanced towards her like a lion stalking a gazelle. With each step forward he took, she took one back.

"I-I t-told-" Rei sputtered, her eyes locked in his intense gaze. She couldn't think straight when he was looking at her like that. She desperately looked around her, searching for a way out, for a room she could duck into. Trowa's! And Rei, the Senshi of Fire, did the unthinkable. She ran like the hounds of hell were after her, leaving Heero staring after her with a bewildered expression.

Oh how Minako would have laughed if she could see Rei now. The almighty Senshi of Fire, unable to face a boy. 'Heero isn't a boy,' her mind countered defensively, trying to salvage some sense of pride and dignity. 'And you would know,' another voice answered, effectively silencing her other half of conscience. Regardless, Minako would have been rolling on the floor bawling, and after she got over her laughter, she would have chastised her for her inability to deal and move on with the past. And most importantly, she would have chastised Rei for passing up a new opportunity at finding happiness, at finding love.

Tears involuntarily streamed down her face as her mind was flooded with all the possible scenarios of Minako chastising her and then attempting to set her up with Heero. But alas, Minako wasn't here. Her mind didn't even register when she barged into a room, Trowa's room, and locked the door behind her. She slumped to the ground, leaning against the door, panting for air. 

Heero watched as she tore down the hallway away from him. A part of him wanted to chase after to, to soothe her, to reassure her that she was different from whatever she was scared of, but his mind wouldn't allow it. And since his mind had control over his body, his feet remained rooted to the ground while his heart strained to fly after her. 

"Good going, Heero," he muttered to himself in disgust. "You scared the shit out of her."

He knew she was going through a lot, but his purpose wasn't to increase to that pain. Didn't she know that all he wanted to do was kiss away her worries? To sweep her off her feet, to erase all her pain? His jaw was set into a firm line as he resolved to make her see. He would show her that he was capable of caring. He would show her he was what she needed to move on. Most importantly, he would win her over.

Needless to say, Trowa was astounded to find Rei curled up against his door, looking like she had just ran from a demon. He had been in the process of undressing and getting ready for bed, and now quickly threw a shirt over his upper body before approaching her. 'What the hell happened? She was fine when she left the library!'

"Rei?" He asked softly, causing her to jerk her head towards him. He felt his heart shatter at the haunted expression that was lodged in her gorgeous eyes. "What happened?"

Rei burst into sobs, not knowing where to start. All the pain, everything was so fresh, so painful. Her conscience wasn't making it any easier for her, especially as her mind continued to replay her disaster with Heero, and then Jadeite's betrayal, and Kaidou, and then back and forth between the three. Her mind was so preoccupied by the flashing images that she didn't even register when Trowa scooped her up into his arms, holding her close to him.

"I-I'm so sorry," she sobbed into his chest as she was bombarded by a rush of emotions, ranging from humiliation to utter despair. "I-I know I'm such a burden, but I didn't know who else to turn to."

"You're not a burden," Trowa murmured, while gently stroking her hair. 'You're the best thing that has come into my life,' he added silently, hoping that one day he would be able to tell her out loud. "Tell me, what's wrong?"

"Everything! I-I just can't deal with it all, not all at once. Usagi doesn't even remember me, my friends are all dead, I failed my duties, and Heero thinks I'm the biggest coward alive."

Trowa stiffened as he heard his comrade's name. So his suspicions were right. Heero did have something to do with Rei's current forlorn state. He ignored the painful aching in his heart and as gently as he could, asked, "Why would Heero think you're a coward?"

'Please,' he silently prayed. 'Please don't let them be together. Please say I still have a chance.'

"Because I ran from him. He-We kissed a little last night," Rei babbled, curling closer to the brunette. Trowa felt his heart plummet at her confessions. So Duo was right. There was no point in denying it anymore. There was something going on between Heero and Rei. "But I don't know why I kissed him. I mean, I didn't kiss him first, but I kissed him. And-and he was waiting for me tonight, by my door. I tried to tell him there was nothing going on, but-" She stopped, finding it too hard to continue.

Trowa felt something in his heart tighten and asked the one question he didn't want to know the answer to. "But is there something going on?"

It felt like an eternity before she answered. "I don't know! I mean--well, his kisses were . . . nice, no more than nice, but they made me feel-"

Trowa felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. He was not in the mood to listen to Rei talk about Heero's kisses. The important thing was that she liked it, she wanted more, but something was holding her back. She wanted Heero, and not him. He was the one she ran to for comfort, but soon even Heero would have taken that away from him. As soon as they sorted out their problems, as soon as Rei could face him, she would be turning to him for comfort too. 'And where would that leave me?' Trowa wondered despondently. 'Would she toss me away like left over trash once she has Heero to run to?'

That was quite the depressing thought, that once he had outlived his purpose, she would forget about him. 'Rei's not like that,' his heart chastised, as it could see no fault in the beautiful warrior. Trowa sighed as his mind and his heart continued to battle back and forth about the young woman he was holding in his arms, the young woman that he was trying to comfort.

"Trowa?"

Trowa glanced down at her and suddenly realized she had stopped sobbing and was looking inquisitively at him through her watery eyes. How long had he been absorbed in his own thoughts? He quickly searched his mind for what she had been talking about. Something about a J-Jade? No, Jadeite. That's it! 

"I'm sorry Rei, I just got lost in my own thoughts for a moment." He vowed not to let his mind go off on such a tangent again, especially not when Rei needed his advice, his comfort more than he needed to think about his depressing situation. He had vowed Rei would come before his own personal needs, and he would see that vow fulfilled, even if it meant letting her go. She deserved some happiness in her life. "Would you still like to talk about Jadeite?" 

He noticed the surprised flash in her eyes, knowing full well that she thought he hadn't been listening at all, which wasn't entirely true. He had been half listening. She bit her lip indecisively before shaking her head.

"No, I think I just needed to get it off my chest." She blushed as she noticed the stain she had caused on his shirt. "I'm sorry, I seem to be ruining your shirts."

"It's just water," Trowa dismissed, involuntarily tightening his arms around her. She stiffened, and for a moment he feared he had crossed the boundary, but when she relaxed, he nearly let out a huge sigh of relief. He liked to having her in his arms.

"You play the flute?" She asked suddenly, spotting the flute lying on the table. When he nodded an affirmative, she tentatively asked, "C-Could you play it for me? It's okay if you don't want to."

He gave her a rare smile before reluctantly breaking the contact and leaned forward to grab the flute. His heart fluttered when he leaned back into the couch and she snuggled against him as he prepared to play. He would have loved to hold her, but unfortunately, playing the flute required both hands. He began to play an old tune, one he hadn't touched for a long time, one that had held a special meaning to him. She sighed, leaning against his strong chest and allowed the soft melody to envelop her as she slowly succumbed to a night of peaceful sleep.

= = = = = = = = = = =

Please leave a review! Your comments are what helps make me a better writer, plus it's inspiration! Thanks for reading, and I honestly will try to get the next chapter out sooner! Sorry for the long wait!

-m.


	8. Chapter 6

SWIB: Chapter 6

by: miyaka

**AN:** I want to thank all of you for your encouragement, support, and interest in this story. I know I have not updated in a really long time, and I apologize for that. College has taken up nearly all of my time and unfortunately taken time away from writing. However, I decided to continue with this version (for now), as well as the revised one, because I've realized that it would take me forever to get the revised version caught up with this version. Therefore, I updated this chapter in hopes of somehow fixing what I don't like and for the dedicated fans who have stuck with it. That said, if I do continue with this original version, I will have to apologize for the plot holes and discrepancies. **Please let me know if you would prefer that I stop working on this version and focus strictly on the revised version.** In case you guys are wondering, there WILL be plot differences in the revised version.

**Once again, thank you all so much for your continued support. Please know that it is truly appreciated and does inspire me to write. And I want all of you to know that I have not given up on the story … it just might take a while between updates.**

Enjoy!

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Trowa had stopped playing the flute long ago when Rei had finally fallen asleep. For the past hour, he had sat there, mesmerized by her angelic features and exotic beauty. She looked so peaceful sleeping, without a single care in the world. If Trowa could have his way, he would lift all the weight and burden she carried on her shoulders, he would make it so that she did not have a single worry in the world, just as she deserved. If only …

He gently picked her up, as discreetly as he could so that he would not wake her, and carried her towards her room. He had thought about letting her spend the night, but the couch was certainly not as comfortable as her bed. He had also thought about letting her sleep in his bed and he would sleep on the couch for the night, but then he realized that it might seem inappropriate, especially if the others caught wind of it, and that she would be embarrassed. So as much as Trowa wanted her to spend the night, he knew that it would be for the best if he brought her back to her own room.

She seemed as light as a feather, and Trowa relished in the physical contact. Her head gently rested against his chest as she continued to remain in deep sleep. Trowa rounded the last corner to her room and nearly stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a familiar figure leaning against the wall by her room.

_Heero_.

Trowa felt a surge of protectiveness rush through him, felt his blood boil, and felt emotions he had not experienced in ages. And was one of them … _jealousy?_ He forced himself to keep walking, as if nothing was wrong, although he doubted that the Perfect Soldier would have missed his initial surprise and hesitation. It seemed like an eternity when Trowa finally reached Rei's room ... and Heero. Trowa half expected Heero to question him, but instead, the Perfect Soldier merely opened the door to Rei's room so that Trowa wouldn't have to.

He pulled the covers back, as smoothly as he could while trying to balance Rei so that she wouldn't feel any abrupt shift in movement, and he gently placed her down on the bed. Trowa tucked her in and squashed the urge to kiss her on the forehead. His eyes drank in her features as they followed the long curve of her sooty eyelashes and down her creamy smooth skin to her luscious rosy lips. Poor girl, she was exhausted from the torrent of emotions she had experienced. First her friends, her queen, and then now Heero. _Heero._

Trowa snapped out of his thoughts and quickly exited the room to give a piece of his mind to the Perfect Soldier, but all that greeted Trowa was an empty, dimly lit corridor. Heero was no where to be found.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Rei awoke the next morning slightly baffled as to where she was. It took her a moment or two as she washed away sleep to realize that she was back in her own room. The memories from last night quickly flooded her mind as she began to recall everything that happened. She groaned out loud as she thought about her encounter with Heero. How would she be able to face him again?! What did he think of her?! Rei mentally chastised herself for her cowardice and buried her face in her pillow. She was the Senshi of War, and based on her actions last night, who would have ever known that she was one of the fiercest warriors alive.

And then she had run to Trowa, babbling and crying like some helpless little girl. _He must have been the one to bring me back_, Rei mused briefly before she was overcome with embarrassment again. _Boys! They're merely boys!_ Oh, if only Minako were here to offer some advice about the male sex. A rueful smile crossed Rei's lips as she thought about how her friend would have reacted to yesterday's fiasco. Mina would never have let her hear the end of it, but like a true friend, the Venusian would have offered her expert opinion to help Rei fix things. Unfortunately, Mina was not here … nor would she ever be. Nor would any of her other closest friends.

Rei was now the last remaining senshi, and it was solely on her shoulders to make sure Usagi stayed safe, that the senshi's legacy and duties carried on. Even if her Queen did not remember her. Rei tossed her pillow aside and sucked in a deep breath, as if tapping into her inner strength and mustering as much courage as she possibly could. She had a duty to fulfill, and it would be a shame on all her friends' memories if she let her emotions hinder her responsibility, her oath to protect her liege.

And she would be damned if she would let Heero Yuy get in her way. She would make Usagi remember, even if it cost every strength and fiber in her body.

Today was a new day, and Hino Rei was on a mission.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

"Are you sure you're up for this Rei?" Quatre asked, concern clearly etched on his face. "I don't want you to feel pressured. If you need more time, it's okay—"

Rei smiled; Quatre was such a sweetheart. "Thank you, Quatre, but I know I can do this. I have to do this."

"May I ask why the sudden change of heart?"

"Let's just say I've gained some perspective," Rei replied mysteriously as she glanced out the windows behind Quatre and marveled at the beauty of the desert, which reminded her much of her own home planet, Mars.

"Well then, if you're sure, I will have Rashid drive you two to the mall and pick you up as well. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," the fire senshi answered, as confidently as she could. She was still having a hard time dealing with the idea that she and Usagi were going to spend quality time together, even though she knew it was what she had to do.

Quatre, who seemed to have sensed her uncertainty, gave her a reassuring smile. "You're a strong person Rei. I know you'll be okay."

"Thank you, Quatre," Rei answered, with a small smile of her own.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

"Has Rei been down yet?" Trowa asked Wufei, the only other person in the dining room. Apparently everyone else had either already eaten breakfast or was choosing to skip the meal.

"Duo took her and the other onna shopping," the Asian pilot muttered in between bites of food. Trowa couldn't believe his ears, especially since just last night she had been a wreck when it came to Usagi.

"What?!"

Wufei glared at his friend and rolled his eyes, unable to understand what the big deal about shopping was. "I said they all went shopping!" He continued to munch on his food, completely oblivious to the concern in Trowa's eyes.

Trowa sighed as he nibbled his toast, lost in his own thoughts about a certain bewitching female.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Heero watched the two girls from his spot by one of the numerous miniature fountains. Once he had learned that Rei and Usagi were going shopping, he had immediately headed over to the mall to keep an eye on them for several reasons. First, or he liked to think was first, he needed to make sure the girls were not spies and using this "shopping" opportunity as a time to conspire and pass along information. He was trying to convince himself that wanting to see Rei had nothing or little to do with it.

From his observations, nothing was out of the ordinary. And as usual, Rei looked amazing, even though she was simply wearing a short denim skirt and black spaghetti strap top. He had caught himself staring at her long, gorgeous legs more times than he could count and mentally chastised himself for thinking about them again.

But one thing was certain—they could shop and were racking up Quatre's credit card bill. Heero swore it had to be a talent … or something … that allowed those two girls to carry all those bags they currently had. He would rather fight in another war than dream about carrying all those bags; he shuddered at the thought. He already had seen several pitiful guys carrying bags galore and trailing their mall crazy girlfriends, and he was sure glad he was not one of them. For some reason, Duo came to his mind whenever he saw one of those guys, and that connection always amused him.

He quickly glanced back at the girls, only to find that they were no longer in front of the store. Heero quickly chastised himself for being distracted and scanned the area for the two girls. And that's when he saw them. They were heading for the parking lot when a group of scraggly, rugged looking guys had intercepted them. Before he knew what he was doing, Heero began to move towards the group, and when he saw one of them grope Usagi and Rei's reaction, he knew there was going to be trouble. Then when one of the guys attacked the raven haired beauty, he felt a surge of protectiveness and fury shoot over him, feelings that he was unable to contain.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Rei stiffened immediately as she noticed the small group of guys approaching her and Usagi. Even the silly blonde seemed to sense Rei's sudden change in demeanor and had forgotten what she was about to tell her friend. The fire senshi unconsciously loosened her grip on her bags, ready to move and free her hands at a moment's notice.

"Hey babe, how come two gorgeous girls like yourself don't have anyone carrying those for you?" One of the guys swaggered up to them and clearly checked them out.

"We don't need any help, but thanks anyway," Rei answered coolly. "Come on, Usa, let's go." She and the blonde began to walk off but the guys cut them off.

The redhead, the one who had talked to them, reached out and grabbed Usagi's butt and said, "Where are you going babe?"

"Hey!" Usagi squeaked as she jerked away, both outraged and embarrassed. Rei felt a familiar sense of protectiveness ignite in her and before she knew it, she had dropped her bags and decked the guy in the face.

"Don't. Touch. Her." Rei hissed vehemently as she pulled Usagi behind her, so that she was in between her friend and the group of guys.

"I suppose I'll settle for your ass!" He moved to grope Rei, but she easily sidestepped him. This time, she didn't mess around and had the guy down on the ground in a matter of seconds. He was no match for her; none of them were, despite their numbers.

Rei eyed the other guys, who seemed to have backed off when they had seen her in action. "Anyone else?" When no one answered, she said, "Let's go, Usa." She turned around and was about to walk away when the guy grabbed her arm.

"This isn't over, bitch!" Apparently this one was especially stupid and didn't know when he was beat. Rei was about to respond when someone else beat her to the punch.

"Let her go." Of all the people to show up, Heero had magically appeared by her side. Rei could feel her temper flare; she didn't need him coming to her rescue! But for Usagi's sake, she tried to keep her anger in check … for now.

"Fine!" The guy seemed to think that Heero was a much more formidable threat than she was and backed off, which only served to fuel Rei's anger. She never liked being underestimated, especially after she had already proven herself more than capable. And then to have Heero sweep in and scare them away. _Ugh!_

When he was sure they were on their way and not going to try anything else, Heero turned to the two girls. When their eyes met, Rei was shocked to see genuine concern in them and felt some of her anger wash away. "Are you alright?"

Usagi merely nodded her head, still trying to recover from the events while Rei asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Shopping," Heero answered before he could think about another excuse.

Rei arched an eyebrow. "You shop?!"

"Oh, be nice Rei! He did just save our butts!" Usagi told her friend lightly before smiling at Heero.

But Rei was not one to give up so easily. "For your information, I believe _I_ saved our butts. And if you're shopping, then where are your bags?"

"I just got here," Heero shrugged. "Are you two headed back to the mansion?"

"Oh, I suppose we're done for the day," Usagi said as if she could keep going. And for some reason, he knew that she could.

Heero motioned to Rei's bags that she had dropped to the ground when the lewd man had grabbed her. "Here, let me help you with those." Before Rei could protest, he reached down and grabbed them all. How? He had no idea, but somehow he managed.

"Rashid is parked over this way," Usagi said in a slightly sing song voice as she led the way. Both Rei and Heero were too preoccupied with each other to notice the huge grin on her face.

"Thanks," Rei muttered as she hurried up after her friend, who had started walking super fast all of a sudden.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Heero watched as Rashid's car pulled away and shook his head, still not quite sure what he had just done. Had he just become one of those pitiful guys he had associated with Duo minutes ago? If Duo or Wufei caught wind of this … all hell would break loose. What was happening to him? He was the Perfect Soldier, not some bag carrying whipped sissy boy who had nothing better to do!

Yet he already knew the answer to that question. Rei happened. That girl drew him like a moth to the flame. For some reason, Heero just couldn't resist. And he had no idea what to do about it.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

"Sooooo," Usagi began just seconds after they had gotten in the car. Rei immediately smelled trouble; she was all too familiar what that tone. "Heero was awfully nice."

"So what?" Rei asked, deciding to play dumb and prolong the inevitable.

"Sooooo, he didn't offer to carry any of my bags," her friend pointed out smugly.

"Well, that's just because you were already holding them," Rei countered quickly, not at all liking where this conversation was headed.

"Uh-huh," Usagi hummed in a way that told Rei she did not buy her friend's reason.

Rei sighed. "Look, Usagi, I'm not here to fool around with guys. I'm here to protect you!"

"But while you're here, you might as well have some fun right?"

Rei could only shake her head. That was a classic Usagi comment.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

"What did you guys buy, the entire mall?!" Wufei shouted in disbelief when he saw all the bags that the girls were carrying.

Rei shrugged, and motioned to Usagi. "Don't look at me! They're practically all hers."

"Thanks Rei," the blonde stuck her tongue out at her friend before huffing to Wufei, "I needed clothes." Wufei merely rolled his eyes at the comment and continued to walk by.

Trowa, however, immediately offered to help. "You girls look like you're about to topple over. Let me take some for you." He motioned for them to hand over the bags and Usagi beamed at him.

"Why thank you, Trowa, for offering to help _both_ of us with our bags!"

Rei smacked the blonde with one of her bags and walked off, leaving behind a puzzled Trowa and a smiling but somewhat indignant Usagi.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Although Usagi had bought the majority of the items, Rei did pick up a few things here and there. She had been tempted to buy a lot more, but she felt guilty for spending all of Quatre's money, especially since she had already gotten a decent wardrobe from her first shopping trip. Usagi had not yet had the chance to go shop, hence the reason why the bags were nearly all hers.

Rei smiled as she pulled out a pair of black stiletto heels and tried them on. They were perfect with a gorgeous dress Rei had wanted to buy, but one look at the price tag had immediately changed her mind. Instead, she settled for just the heels, which she liked just as much. She was just about to go through her other bags when someone knocked on her door.

"Come in," Rei called, not bothering to go to the door. "Trowa!"

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Trowa had to mentally will himself to take his eyes off her legs before she noticed that he was completely gawking at her. Those heels accentuated what he thought had already been perfect and made them even more appealing and sexy. Why did she always have to look so darn good?!

"How was shopping?" He finally managed to ask as he sat down on the side of her bed.

"It was good, for the most part," Rei answered vaguely, not wanting to talk about Heero or the stupid guy who couldn't take a hint. "I bought these heels." She modeled them before him, and once again Trowa felt like his eyes were glued to her body.

"Th-They look nice," Trowa had to clear his throat of the large lump that had settled there. Did he dare ask what else she had gotten? Fortunately for him, she didn't show him anything else he got. Trowa had a hunch he would have a hard time containing his feelings if she kept going.

"Trowa?" Rei called quietly, as she sat down next to him. Trowa could sense the gravity in her tone and immediately snapped out of his thoughts. "I just wanted to thank you … for yesterday. I'm sorry if I … bothered you." She had bowed her head and lowered her eyes to the floor, as if embarrassed of her actions from last night.

"Hey," he said softly, as he gently cupped her chin and lifted her face to his. "You don't have to apologize for anything, okay?" She was so gorgeous … and so _close._ Before he could do something he couldn't take back, like kiss her, she shifted and tilted her head so that it was gently leaning against the crook of his neck.

"Thank you, Trowa, for everything," she murmured, as her breath gently caressed his skin. It took everything in his power to keep his breathing and pulse steady.

Trowa gently disentangled himself from her, knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep up pretenses for much longer at such close proximity. She glanced up at him questioningly with those large exotic amethyst eyes, and he nearly caved. Nearly.

"How are things with Usagi?"

"They're better," Rei said with a sigh as she got up to organize her clothes. "I know I have to do everything I can to help her remember. I realized that just because she has amnesia doesn't make her someone else. She's still my queen and best friend." After a pause, she added, "I have a duty to fulfill."

"You sound like Heero," Trowa blurted out before he could stop himself. He saw her stiffen, and he immediately cursed himself for his stupidity. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay," Rei murmured and flashed Trowa a forced smile. "You know what? I think I'm going to take a quick nap. Shopping really tired me out."

"Of course. I'll show myself out," Trowa quickly got up and headed for the door, all the while still reprimanding himself for his stupidity. Now she couldn't stand him either. Therefore what happened next came as a complete shock.

"Trowa?" She strode over to him and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later."

He nodded mutely, afraid that his voice would crack. With a small smile, he closed the door behind him.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Rei shot out of bed covered with sweat, her chest heaving with effort from the nightmares she had. How long had she been asleep?! The afternoon sun was high in the sky. She glanced at her clock; apparently her quick nap hadn't turned out to be so quick after all. She had been napping for three hours. Rei was not surprised that the death of her friends had continued to haunt her. She had not been able to properly grieve for her best friends, who were more like sisters to her, and those myriad of repressed emotions were starting to get the best of her, especially when she was sleeping and had no control of her thoughts.

She groaned as she got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to freshen up as she turned her thoughts to Heero. Why were men _always_ the source of her trouble?! Those kisses with Heero had ignited something within her … something she had not felt in a long time, and that scared her. She couldn't afford distractions right now, not when Usagi was in her most vulnerable state. Not when she was the only senshi left. For all she knew, the enemy was still out there. And it would only be a matter of time before he found her. That was one thing Rei knew she could count on.

And she needed to be ready.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Thankfully, the fitness room was empty. Rei certainly did not want another encounter with Heero like their last couple of exchanges. She did, however, need to keep in shape, especially since she had not been in a fight for nearly a month now. And her hand to hand combat was starting to get rusty, too. Rei was more worried about that than anything … she needed a sparring partner. Heero was the obvious choice, since he was the best one out of the group, but that was out of the question, considering what happened the last time they were in the room together. Everything else she needed to do to keep in shape she could do on her own.

Wufei was another option, but she doubted that she would be able to get him to spar with her, not that she wouldn't enjoy kicking his butt and taking him down a notch or two from his high horse. And Quatre was simply too busy with all his work. She supposed she could ask Duo or Trowa next time. But she had already asked Trowa for so much … she didn't want to keep weighing him down with her needs. Duo it was then. For now, she would just have to make do on her own.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

"Have you seen Rei?" Usagi asked the stoic pilot as she plopped down on the couch next to him. Heero merely grunted in the negative and continued to watch tv. Usagi pursed her lips, realizing that her task was going to be much harder than she thought. "You know, there was this one particular dress that Rei really liked at the mall that she didn't end up getting."

"Hn," Heero grunted again as he continued to watch the tv, seemingly completely indifferent to Usagi.

Despite the lack of response she was getting, she kept going. "Girls always like sweet surprises, you know."

Heero faced Usagi and with a pointed stare, asked, "Is there a point to all this?"

"Weeelll, I just thought it might be something you want to know," Usagi said coyly. "I'll leave you be now." She left with another huge grin on her face before she half skipped away from him.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It was just after sunrise, and Duo had began to question what in the world was wrong with him for agreeing to go jogging with Rei at this unholy hour. The Shinigami seldom was awake at such an hour, and it had taken him every bit of will power he had to roll out of bed. That was ten minutes ago, and after brushing and throwing on some workout clothes, he headed out to meet Rei in the living room. And that's when he saw her stretching in one of those thin racerback sports bra and short tight spandex shorts.

"Shit, Rei! What the hell do you need to work out for? You look hot!" Duo half shouted as his eyes appreciatively trailed over her body.

Rei had the decency to blush before she answered, "Thanks Duo, but I've gotta keep in shape."

"Are you ready to go?"

"You're not going to stretch?" Rei asked, arching an eyebrow.

Duo dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand. "Stretch? Psssshhh … the Shinigami doesn't need to stretch."

"Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?" When Duo remained convinced, she shrugged and said, "Okay then, let's go."

"Uhhh, how far are we running anyway?"

**xxxxxxxxxx**

"We're almost there," Rei called back to the panting Duo, who was struggling to keep up. She was actually pretty impressed that he had managed to run this far and for the majority of the way, keep up with her. The mansion was coming in sight, and for Duo, it was like an oasis saving him from the desert hell. "Come on Duo, you can do it!"

About ten minutes later, she barged through the door followed momentarily by a huffing and puffing Duo, who promptly collapsed on the floor as soon as he entered.

"What's going on?" Apparently Quatre and Wufei had been in the middle of breakfast and when they heard the commotion, rushed over to see what was going on.

"I would get up if I were you," Rei advised, slightly out of breath herself. That was a really good run. When the others looked at her for an explanation, since Duo seemed incapable of giving one, she said, "We went for a little jog."

"Little … gasp… jog?!" Duo sputtered from the floor, continuing to suck in air as if it would be his last breath here on earth. "Nine … gasp … freakin' … gasp … miles!"

The others watched on amused, while Wufei had a smug grin on his face. "Can't even keep up with an onna, huh?! And you think Deathscythe is better than me!"

"I'd … huff … like to … puff … see … huff … you try … puff … and keep up!" Duo gasped from his spot on the ground. Rei moved over and pulled him up to his feet and pulled his arms up above his hand.

"There. That'll help you get in more air. See?" She said as Duo stopped panting as hard as before. But that didn't mean he stopped panting.

"You know," Rei said nonchalantly, "I usually like to keep a faster pace. Are we still on for tomorrow?" Everyone laughed at the look of absolute horror on Duo's face, who had nearly collapsed again at Rei's words.

"You know, Rei," Duo muttered, "I cough feel like I'm cough coming down with sniff sniff something."

"Well then, perhaps when you're feeling better," Rei said with a smile.

"Would you guys like to join us for breakfast?" Quatre asked.

Duo seemed to turn a greenish-yellow at the thought of food, especially as a wave of nausea began to wash over him. "I think I'm going to be sick." He quickly headed to the nearest bathroom.

"Well, how about you, Rei?"

She shook her head. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass. I want to finish my workout. I'll see you all later!"

**xxxxxxxxxx**

It was too bad Duo wasn't feeling well, for Rei had hoped that she would be able to spar with her after the jog. But unfortunately, she would just have to do another one of those workouts by herself. She desperately wished she could practice with her powers, for she could feel her skills slipping. She used to train everyday with the other senshi, for several hours, where they honed their skills to perfection. Rei was itching to use her powers again, but she knew that she couldn't … for risk of exposure. She shouldn't even have transformed those two times to demonstrate to the pilots and Dr. V.

Rei stepped into the training room, ready to kick some major punching bag butt, when she found that someone else was already there. Heero. 'Great,' Rei thought, as she immediately halted to a stop and prayed that he wouldn't notice her as she tried to slip away. No such luck.

"You need the bag?" Heero asked, not even bothering to turn around.

"How did you know it was me?" Rei asked, curiosity getting the best of her. She had barely made a sound. How had he even known that someone was there, and nonetheless her?

"I just do." To be totally honest, Heero wasn't sure how he was so attuned to her presence. It was kind of scary, actually.

"Well—" Rei paused for a moment, as if debating whether she was willing to deal with her emotions for a good sparring session. Hell, if she could concentrate when sparring with Heero and kick his butt, then she should be in pretty good shape. And if anything, it would help improve her focus and concentration. "Do you want to spar with me?" When he paused in mid strike to look at her, she added nervously,

"Well, I was going to ask Duo but after our run he's not feeling up to the challenge so I was just going to do a solo workout and ask him some other time but you happen to be here and since you're supposed to be pretty good yourself I figured—"

She was going a mile and minute, and since Heero doubted she was going to stop anytime soon, he interrupted, "I don't want to hurt you."

Rei paused in mid sentence, with her mouth still hanging open. Had she just heard him correctly? Her pride swelled within her, and her eyes flashed as she haughtily told him, "I doubt you could even if you tried. I'm a _senshi_."

"And I'm the Perfect Soldier," Heero answered calmly.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

She was such a sight! Her amethyst eyes flashed with an inner fire that had been fueled by her pride. He had not meant to insult her but had sincerely not wanted hurt her, especially since he was known to injure his training partners whenever he entered his 'zone.' Duo and Wufei had walked away with busted lips and bruises several times already, and he certainly did not want to see any blemishes on her face or body, especially of his infliction.

Speaking of her body … she was scantily clad in a sports bra and short biker shorts, which hardly left anything to the imagination. Her skin glistened with a thin layer of sweatfrom her run, and her abs were nice and toned. And then there were her legs … the shorts clung tightly to them, revealing long toned legs. Heero knew sparring was definitely not what he wanted to do to her right now.

"Well?" She asked, somewhat uncertainly, as if she had noticed the hunger in his gaze.

"I don't want to hurt you," Heero repeated again as he turned to face her. Her confidence seemed to return with that comment, as she replied,

"I would worry more about your skin. I'm not making any promises."

Heero nearly cracked a smile. No one had ever suggested he watched out for himself, nor had anyone ever presumed to think that they would actually be able to harm him. _Interesting_.

"Very well then." He removed his boxing gloves and tossed them aside. "Rules?"

"Anything goes," she answered.

"As you wish," Heero confirmed as he began to move towards her.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Rei nearly gulped, as he looked like a lion stalking his prey, _her_. For a brief second, she wondered if this was such a good idea after all. 'Well, you wanted a good fight,' her conscience told herself. There was no going back now. She lowered herself into a fighting stance as they began to circle each other, each one waiting for the other to make the first move. Rei was determined not to be the first to act; she wanted to assess Heero's offensive capabilities before she would allow him to judge her.

She did not have to wait long. She quickly learned that Heero was not one to mess around or play games. He went straight for the jugular, and as Rei found herself on her toes just barely a step ahead of him, she began to understand why he had warned her. She managed to side step each of his attacks, but they were still too close for comfort. And yet, she felt like he was holding back. _That_ was what worried her, especially since she was not as powerful or fast as she was in her senshi state.

"You're holding back," Rei grunted as a kick to her side managed to slip past her defenses.

"So are you," Heero pointed out as he continued to attack, and Rei took another hit. Her pride ignited within her; enough was enough.

Rei began to attack, sending punches and kicks out in a flurry of actions only to have them all deflected or side stepped. And she immediately found herself on the defensive as he turned up the heat. Rei had already taken three hits, and she had yet to even land one of her own. What pissed her off was that this was him taking it easy. How did she know that he was? Because while his hits did knock the air out of her, they did not incapacitate her, which she knew he was more than capable of doing.

She hissed as he swept her legs out from under her and she fell to the mat with Heero standing over her with a smirk on his face. 'THAT'S IT!' Her pride had taken too much of a beating and was more than ready to kick back. She somersaulted backwards and back into a fighting stance. She was determined to land a hit, not matter how she had to do it.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Heero knew she was frustrated, especially since she was trying to hit harder and faster. He was actually quite impressed; she was a lot better than the other pilots at hand to hand combat. And he was sure she was even better if she were in her transformed state. But now, she was getting more and more frustrated, and her swings were getting wilder by the minute.

"Concentrate," he advised her as he easily sidestepped her punch. That comment only seemed to annoy her even more. "You're getting sloppier and sloppier."

Rei lunged at him, and once again, he evaded her. But this time, he grabbed her arm, twisted it, and pressed her into the wall face first. She struggled to get free, but from the way her arm was twisted, it only hurt her more to do so. This was _not_ a position she wanted to be in.

Heero had pressed himself against her, with his thigh pressed in between her legs, using his weight to keep her up against the wall. And he immediately regretted doing so. He could feel every contour of her body against his. His eyes trailed down the long curve of her neck, to the rise and fall of her chest with each breath she took, down her smooth creamy back to the shapely curve of her butt that he longed to grab.

"Alright, I get the point," she mumbled into the wall, trying to ignore the compromising position they were in. When he didn't respond, she craned her neck to look at the guy and gulped at the searing look of desire he had in his stormy blue eyes. Her mouth had suddenly gone dry, and she licked her lips to wet them and watched as his eyes hungrily traced the motion of her tongue.

"I told you," he whispered huskily into her ear, causing her to shudder in pleasure. She could feel the desire emanating off him in waves, and it was hard to keep calm when she could feel such passion, such intensity between them. She gasped as she felt his lips on her neck, gently planting kisses down the curve of her neck and back up again.

"Heero," she moaned as he gently nibbled on her ear. His hand slid down the side of her body and squeezed her butt, causing her to moan again. Rei could feel the heat spreading through her like a warm caress, and for once, she didn't want to resist it. Heero thrust his thigh higher into her, while his hands snuck to the front to cup her breasts, causing her to arch her back into him. He bit down on the nape of her neck and sucked, all the while thrusting his thigh into her and squeezing her breasts through the sports bra. She moaned again as waves of pleasure coursed through her. "Heero … please."

He gave a feral growl as he roughly turned her around, pressed her up against the wall and consumed her lips with his. Thankfully, Heero was supporting her weight, as she was still riding his thigh, for she seemed to have melted and her legs had turned into pudding. His tongue pushed its way into the inner caverns of her mouth and began to explore every inch of it. Heero deepened the kiss as their tongues danced intimately. When he finally pulled away for air, the sight of Rei with her eyes half closed in pleasure and heaving chest nearly caused him to kiss her again.

Rei could feel his desire for her, pressed hard against her thigh and wanted more. She grabbed his tank top, and as he lifted his arms up from her body, pulled it off and tossed it aside. She stared appreciatively at his well toned body, glistening with sweat and heaving from exertion. She ran her hands across his chest and down to his well pronounced abs, which she traced with her nails.

"Rei," he growled hungrily, as his hand snuck under her sports bra and cupped her breast. She arched her back into him and moaned as he continued to play with her. His kisses started at the top of her neck and began to trail downwards, causing her to gasp each time his lips moved to a new spot, all the way down to the tops of her chest which the tiny sports bra left exposed. He gently licked her breasts through the thin cloth and traced her hard nipple in a circle.

"Oh god," she gasped in pleasure. She didn't know how much longer she could last. His lips started to head back up, where he hungrily seized her lips again.

"Hey guys—OH MY GOD!" Usagi screamed, covering her eyes with her hand as Heero and Rei immediately broke apart. "I'm so sorry! The other guys wanted me to let you know that there's trouble! There's this black hole type thing that suddenly appeared a few miles away from the mansion. They're all headed to the hanger to get into their robot thingies to go check it out. I'll-I'll see you guys later! I'm soooo sorry again!"

Although she was still flushed and hot from Heero, Rei could feel the air rushing back into her and her brain slowly began to work again. She glanced at Heero, who was still staring intensely at her.

"We-we should get going," Rei mumbled lamely as she unconsciously straightened her bra. "I'll-I'll go first. D-Don't forget your shirt." She took off, completely embarrassed at her words. '_Don't forget your shirt?!_' She mentally chastised as she ran towards the hanger.

Just as she was about to enter, she was intercepted by Usagi, who quickly motioned to her neck, where it was all red and where hickeys were starting to form. "You might want to cover that up."

"Oh, right," Rei blushed again as she pulled the band off her ponytail and let her long hair fall before she stepped into the hanger, where all the pilots, minus Heero, were all assembled. "What's going on?" She asked, still panting and trying to get her head back in the game.

"Some sort of portal opened up about ten minutes ago." Rei stiffened at the word portal. Oh no, that was _not_ good. "So we're going to go check it out."

"Well I'm going with you guys," Rei told Quatre, just as Heero entered the hanger, looking as if nothing had happened. Well, at least one of them was calm, cool, and collected.

"About time!" Wufei growled as he began to hop up his Gundam.

"I'm going with you guys," Rei repeated firmly. She had a horrible gut feeling that she was responsible for this mess.

"No, you're not," Heero told her as he headed for Wing Zero. "It's too dangerous out there. Besides, how are you going to get there?"

Rei glared at him and made a mental note never to kiss him again if she could help it. How dare he?! "I'll just ride on one of the Gundams."

"Well, you're not riding on mine." He glared at all the pilots, as if warning them not to take her with them.

"You can ride on mine," Duo settled with a sigh, as if knowing he was in for a beating later. "You can stand on the head and hold onto the helmet."

Rei sent Heero a triumphant look before turning to Duo. "Thank you."

"Are you all going to stand there all day?!" Wufei shouted as he closed his cockpit and began to maneuver Altron out the hanger. The other sprang into action, with Usagi standing off to the side and watching the commotion worriedly.

"Don't worry, we'll be alright," Quatre placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder before running over to Sandrock. They all paused momentarily, as they saw a flash of red, and when they realized it was just Rei transforming, they continued on.

When she was done, she headed over to Deathscythe. "Wait there, I'll give you a lift." He closed his cockpit and as Deathscythe livened up, he reached down with his hand. Rei jumped on, and he lifted her up to his helmet, where Rei carefully found her footing and grabbed onto the helmet. She braced herself as the robot began to move, and Rei knew this was going to take some getting used to.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Heero was absolutely livid and could feel his pulse pounding at the side of his temple. Stupid Duo! She would be completely unprotected out there, and she had never even seen a Gundam in action! How was she going to face all the gunfire and balance herself on top of a Gundam?! Ohhh, he was going to _kill_ Duo once they got back.

"Duo, you need to be extra careful today," Trowa's quiet voice came over the intercom. "Don't forget that Rei's up there." Apparently Heero wasn't the only one thinking the same thing.

"I know, I know. Quit worrying you guys. Everything will be fine!" Duo reassured as he flew after the other pilots, a lot slower than he normally would be so that Rei could adjust to flying.

"There's nothing here," Wufei said, as he was already on site. "Just a big gaping hole in the sky. Wait. There's something … what the hell are those things?!"

"What? What do you see?" Quatre asked as he urged his Gundam faster.

"SHIT! You guys better get over here fast. We've got trouble!"

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Rei nearly fell off the Gundam as Duo suddenly kicked into a higher speed, but thankfully she had been gripping onto the helmet as if her life depended on it, which was probably the only thing that saved her from flying off. She sucked in a deep breath as she regained her footing and tried to slow down her racing pulse. She was getting off this damned thing as soon as it stopped, she vowed to herself. Rei scanned the horizon for danger; she knew Duo wouldn't have sped up so abruptly if everything was fine.

The fire senshi gasped as she saw flashes of light emerge from the portal, and her sixth sense immediately told her _youma_. "Damnit!" She swore as the monsters confirmed her suspicions. This was her fault.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

"What the hell are these things?!" Wufei shouted, as he had already engaged the enemy. Unlike the usual mobile suit opponents he was used to that shot bullets and other missiles at him, these fought with … magic? He sure as hell knew those weren't bullets.

"I have no idea, but they look dangerous!" Duo added as he and the others joined the fray.

"No shit!" Wufei rolled his eyes. Leave it to Duo to say something like that.

"It doesn't matter what they are. We're taking them down," Heero answered coolly. "Every last one of them."

**xxxxxxxxxx**

"DUO! DUO!" Rei shouted as she looked for a way down. "SHIT!" She cursed, as she realized the pilot could not hear her. This was _not_ good. There were youma everywhere, and she had yet to be of any help. Rei knew she would not be effective up on top of this machine; she had to get off. She sucked in a huge breath as she began to work her way down to his shield, which she planned to slide or run off on. She was halfway there when an explosion hit the Gundam. The force of the explosion caused her to lose her grip and footing, and before Rei knew it, she was in free fall.

Rei tried to grab at anything that would break her fall but came up empty. She closed her eyes and braced herself for impact, when she heard a loud crash as a hand gently encircled her. She found herself staring into the cockpit and right at Heero, who had lunged forward with his Gundam to catch her, and was now sprawled on the ground with his saber tossed to the side. For a moment, Rei froze as she saw the mix of emotions briefly wash over his face before his impassive façade took over. He opened his hand and Rei scrambled to her feet and jumped off. As Heero began to get up, three youma pounced on him, sending him crashing to the ground again.

"Oh no you don't!" Rei shouted as the youma began to tear at the mobile suit. "Burning Mandala!" Her fire rings clipped two of them in the side, tossing them off Heero and he grabbed the other one and threw it into the other two that had fallen off. Rei didn't wait for him to get up but rushed headfirst into the fray.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

"It's easier if we fight these things from the air!" Wufei shouted to the others as soon as he realized that most of these beasts that they were fighting could not fly. Duo and Quatre immediately followed suit.

Trowa, however, shouted back, "Rei's on the ground! We can't leave her defenseless!"

"The onna seems to be doing just fine," Wufei replied, albeit grudgingly as if it was painful for him to admit that.

"You three handle it from the air, and Trowa and I will stay down here," Heero ordered calmly as he continued to attack.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

"Flame Sniper!" The arrow pierced through the youma and incinerated it just as it was about to pounce on her. She took a quick second to survey her surroundings and noticed that Duo and Quatre had taken to the air and that she, Heero, and Trowa were the only ones on the ground. If only they could hear her … she would tell them all to stay in the air and not worry about her.

If anything, she should be the one worried about them, as they had never faced these monsters before, whereas she had been dealing with them for what seemed like an eternity. And it seemed like the beasts had figured it out as well, as the majority of them seemed to be focusing on the Gundams instead of her. They were focusing on Heero and Trowa, whom she was sure for the sake of her, were still fighting on the ground. Heero seemed to be faring better than Trowa, as Trowa's Gundam seemed better suited for long range attacks. And so he was having a much harder time with those that managed to penetrate his attacks.

"Fireballs Ignite!" As she ran towards Trowa, she continued to hurl balls of flame at the youmas, incinerating some and drawing attention away from her friend. She continued to head towards them, even though some of the creatures were headed her way now. The fire senshi was so preoccupied with distracting them that she failed to see the one that sideswiped her from the side. Its tentacles grabbed her by the legs and swung her up into the air, leaping after her with its fangs bared and ready to tear her apart.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

"REI!" Heero shouted, drawing all the other pilots' attention to her, as he watched the beast overtake her from her blind spot. It had thrown her into the air, where she had twisted straight into gunfire, and landed with a _thud_ on the ground, utterly motionless. For the first time in his life, Heero felt desperate. Desperate to get to her and save her. Desperate to see if she was okay …

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Rei gasped as she twisted to the side, trying to somehow maneuver out of the way, until she felt a sharp, blinding pain like she had never felt before. A few seconds later, she landed hard on the ground and blackness swept over her.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Let me know your thoughts! Hopefully it was worth the wait, and if it wasn't, I do apologize. As always, your feedback is much appreciated! Until next time!

-m.


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